The King's Mistress
by Ce.elle
Summary: I met my king when I was 17. On the eve of my 18th, he tells me I am the one who holds his heart. Three days after my 19th, my sister attempts my murder. By my 20th, I become the Queen. But everyone knows me as the King's mistress.
1. Prologue

**The King's Mistress**

**Prologue  
><strong>

**~8~**

* * *

><p>(Note: Only the prologue is written in a first person point of view)<p>

* * *

><p><em>I sit before the setting sun as I stare listlessly into the greenery that stretches far beyond the eye can see. The papers before me ruffle gently in tune with the breeze and I smile, neither in happiness nor in sadness. And then I begin to write.<em>

_I have avoided recounting my life onto paper for a long time now, but alas I feel my duty has caught up with me. Or maybe it is my paranoia that has gripped me. Perhaps you are now reading my memoir with a sense of distaste. I do not blame you, for the negative connotations that the word Mistress entails is far-reaching. But I am now Queen, a beloved one at that and the sole owner of my King's heart. The events of my young life, as I was fortunate enough, was portrayed impartially to my people, however, though I am now the most powerful woman, the fear of my story being misconstrued to my younger generations does not discriminate me. Thus, I shall tell you my tale without biasness or beautification. I shall disclose to you of how I lived, survived, of how I came to power._

_If you assumed I was born into a prestigious family of power and wealth, then you have assumed correctly. My father was a third generation advisor having served my Lord's predecessor, and I was the youngest of his three daughters. The youngest and also the resented. My mother died shortly after giving birth to me. I, in the eyes of my father and second sister, not only murdered the love of my father's life, but also deprived my father of any hope of conceiving a son. I symbolized a bad omen to my father, and was no more than a pebble in my middle sister's shoe. Senna is her name. Now as I look back in hindsight, I cannot help but speculate the notion that perhaps Senna had always saw me as a hindrance, and dare I wonder, a threat._

_Senna was my King's first wife._

_Never acknowledged by anyone but my eldest sister, my beautiful Hisana, I lived a commoner's life behind closed doors. I shall laugh at you, if for that, you pity me. I did not discern it then, but I am grateful for it now. Unlike my sisters, whose lives were predetermined to marry into royalty, I was excluded from this privilege. Thus I was free to roam the forests whenever I pleased, gain a wealth of knowledge from whatever I chose, and become my own person by my own right. My King whispers against the nape of my naked neck every night that he loves me for the very reason that I am my own person. It is in those moments, that all the pain and loneliness of being in a loveless family becomes no more than a passing memory._

_It never ceases to make me smile when I think of the first moment I met my beloved. I frustrated him to no end. My King, you will come to learn, is a logical man, and when he could not decipher me, quantify me in a logical sequence as though I was no more than an object, I became annoying to him, but nonetheless, an enigma. But I am digressing. The events of our first meeting cannot, and should not be encapsulated so briefly. The events will unfold in time._

_When my father almost forgot my very existence, and I was always only met with Senna's cold shoulders, I would still find the courage to smile, because my eldest sister more than made up for the lack of warmth from everyone else. But Hisana had poor health, so when she wasn't dedicating her time to me, she was with her doctor, whom I would later find out would become my brother in law._

_When I did not have my sister by my side, I turned to my books, the endless tales that kept me from the cruelty of my own. And when I pleased, I would roam the streets just like my people. I could be gone for days on end, but not many would really take notice. Occasionally I wondered whether my father silently wished that I would disappear just like the wind. I do not blame him, nor do I resent him in the slightest. My father was never a cruel man to me, though I cannot say he played his role of a father. I always knew deep down he was trying to love me, but sometimes just the sight of me was too much for him. I do not blame him._

_My second sister was never cruel to me as well, but she also never acknowledged me. Perhaps she resented me for robbing her of a mother, but the intensity of her coldness spoke of a deeper underlying reason, one that came to light when I would turn 19. She, like my father, is someone I could never hate. In many ways, fate had dealt her a harsh hand. All her life, Senna only strived for power and love. Two things that were seemingly so close, yet so terrifyingly far beyond her reach. Perhaps it was the unrequited love that was her undoing. Perhaps in her eyes, it was another thing I had deprived her of. I too, would be driven to madness if I were her. I wonder endlessly how two sisters could lead such opposing lives._

_You are probably surprised that there is no distinct villain like a normal story would have, surprised that there is no clear right or wrong. That is because this is no fairytale. Though it does not lack in love and passion, it is far from a fairytale. But I have never cared for those stories, for in my perception, it is those stories that had ultimately weaved an unattainable fantasy that Senna strived her whole life to reach. Fairytales were the beginning of Senna's downfall. And I was the catalyst._

_The sun has set now, and I have grown tired. My love is beckoning me to bed, so I shall retire for the night. I will begin my memoir at the break of dawn, and relay to you in the best of my ability, the story that will go down in history. The tale of the King's mistress._

* * *

><p><strong>~8~<strong>_  
><em>


	2. Crossing Paths

**Chapter One**

**Crossing Paths**

**~8~**

Rukia ran through the gardens as she laughed freely into the empty skies. Stealthily dodging the trees, she leapt across a thick log of wood before her bare feet landed solidly onto the overgrown grass. She couldn't believe how beautiful the gardens of the castle were. They were hardly gardens in her eyes; it was more like a forest stretching out into the acres of land. From where she stood she could barely make out the castle with all the trees and foliage obscuring her vision. While she knew most didn't venture beyond the gardens of roses, she herself ran freely into the forest where she was unseen by the members of the Court.

Watching as the sunlight peeked through the openings of the tree tops, she took off running once again, this time choosing to run through the water streams as she reminisced about her younger days of playing in the mud. She was relieved to realise that not much would change for her even though now she had moved into Court. She wasn't particularly expected to act differently from her usual ways, which she knew meant that she would rarely be expected at any large banquets or occasions. She was happy with that. Since she was never taught the ways of ladylike manners, she was happier roaming the streets, gaining knowledge not just from her books, but through her experiences.

Finally out of breath, Rukia dropped to the ground and laid down. She giggled when the grass tickled the edges of her bare, now slightly blackened feet. She let out a breath of air and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the open forest. Suddenly she heard a rustle to her right. Snapping her eyes open to see what had made the noise, her eyes managed to catch a sudden bounce of a blur of white. Smiling to herself, she jumped to her feet and knew that the game of chase had started.

* * *

><p>"Sister!"<p>

Senna could not hide her delight as she swept past the double oak wood doors and into Hisana's chambers. Dressed in her finest gowns with her hair tied neatly in place, Senna did not hesitate as she caught her sister by surprise and enveloped her in a hug, looking every bit the Queen that she would soon become. Hisana smiled her usual gentle smile and returned the warmth, having not realised how much she had actually missed Senna. It had been six months since she had seen her second sister, and she did not fail to realise how beautiful Senna had grown to be in that short time.

"Welcome." Senna smiled, finally releasing Hisana from her grip. "Hisana, this should be left to the maids, you do not need to exert yourself."

Dismissing her with a soft wave of her hand, Hisana continued aligning her plants across the window ledge as she watched Senna take her seat. "You should know that these are important to me." Hisana chastised absent-mindedly.

Senna could not refrain from rolling her eyes, a habit she had yet to rid during her training in Court. She, however, did manage to keep quiet, a feat that would usually be out of character for her. She chose not to dwell because she merely did not want to spoil her mood. Ignoring the plants and maids that were continually walking in and out of the room, the Queen-to-be gracefully flipped her bangs out of her eyes and asked in slight agitation, "Won't you ask me about the Court, my training or my Betrothed? It has been six months since I have moved into Court."

Hisana smiled at her, "I do not need to ask as I can see with my own eyes that you have settled nicely in this castle. I am happy for you."

Senna, upon chosen by the King's mother to be the young King's betrothed, had moved into the castle six months ago to begin her courtship with the King. The days leading up to the move had seen Senna and her father the happiest anyone had ever seen. As young as Senna had been able to count, her whole life was dedicated to refining her skills and mannerisms in hopes that one day she too would be invited to live in Court. It was by a stroke of luck that she had accompanied their father into the castle on the same day that Kurosaki Masaki, Queen and mother of the present King, was in attendance. Since then, their father had known that Senna was within eyesight to be chosen. And chosen she was.

Of the three sisters, Senna had always been the obedient one, never steering off too far from her obligations. Since anyone could remember, Senna had lived under strict control of their father, having had high hopes placed on her from the moment she was born. When Hisana was born, the doctors knew she possessed a weak body, but whilst their father was disappointed, he loved her nonetheless, only requiring Hisana to undertake her education and training whenever her body permitted. For that, Hisana would always feel guilt because she knew, behind the glamour; she saw a life that had already been predetermined for her younger sibling. Senna never saw it that way though, and Hisana was relieved her sister didn't know any better.

"How is father?"

Still tending to her plants, a little to Senna's dismay, the eldest sister merely shrugged, "Father is father. If he is not working, he is stressing himself over your upcoming marriage."

Senna laughed, "That is father. I will see him soon enough, and I shall relieve him of his worries. He will be so proud. Not only has our family moved into the castle today, his daughter will be the Queen."

For some reason, Hisana just couldn't see it as joyful of an occasion as her sister and father had, and she couldn't understand why. Nevertheless, she replied, "Yes."

A comfortable silence settled between the sisters, with the only disruption coming from the occasional maid bowing their respect before moving the rest of Hisana's possessions into her new chamber.

There was a lot of hesitation, but out of courteousness, Senna still asked, "And Rukia? She is well?"

"Ah. She has not changed, still living in her own world."

Senna would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous of the way Hisana treated Rukia. Even the way she tended to those plants, plants that Rukia had gathered for their eldest sister, spoke of the sisterly bond they shared.

"And where is she now? Does she not intend to greet her elder sister?" There was certainly disdain in her tone.

If Hisana had noticed the annoyance, she masked it perfectly, "You know that girl, she can't sit still for long."

* * *

><p>Ichigo finally allowed his back to sag ever so slightly as he released a sigh of frustration. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he was beginning to feel the impending headache. He wasn't sure how long he could maintain this indifferent facade, but just the idea of having to marry someone, whom he saw as a stranger, was taking a toll on him.<p>

He couldn't understand what dissatisfied him about his betrothed. Outwardly she was the perfect image of what was expected of the Queen. But that was exactly it; she was too perfect, too stiff. Ichigo struggled to find much about the girl that differentiated her from the other courtesans. He couldn't deny that she was in fact incredibly beautiful, but during their courtship, he simply couldn't sense much substance to her personality. She acted exactly the way she was expected to act. He couldn't be certain that her answers to his questions were genuine or whether they were answers conjured from her years of training. She spoke eloquently, and knew to speak of only what she believed he would want to hear – which on the contrary, was exactly what he never wanted to hear.

Ichigo would have objected to the engagement had it not been for the happiness he saw in his mother's eyes. He simply couldn't find it in him to break her heart, and so he agreed. Six months of courtship to get better acquainted before the marriage.

He reasoned with himself that this was for the best. He was the King now. His priorities rested with his Kingdom and the people, and love would just be a small price to pay. He would have no time to fall in love, and he doubted he could when all the courtesans replicated each other. Perhaps he could grow to love Senna the way his father fell in love with his mother. That thought was the only thing that kept him going. He could only hope.

He didn't want to think anymore. His head was hurting, and all he would achieve from dwelling on something he knew he couldn't change were more headaches. Thankfully at that very moment, one of his advisors walked into the throne room, somewhat dispelling his train of thoughts.

"I wasn't aware I had called for my jester." Ichigo grimaced, rubbing his temples in exhaustion.

Coughing into his fist, Ishida retorted, "You're usually quite unaware."

Ichigo didn't even bother to acknowledge the slight having expected nothing less from his childhood friend. "Tell me you've come bearing good news."

"I'm afraid not-,"

"Then spare me altogether and refrain from speaking. Not today Ishida."

With a curt nod, Ishida understood. He knew the moment his friend had agreed to the engagement Ichigo had been under much strain, and now with the marriage drawing closer, the King was starting to appear outwardly distressed. But he assumed that was a side only shown to a select few.

"Perhaps you could do with a walk?" Ishida wasn't quite used to addressing Ichigo so formally, but given the circumstances, he felt he owed it to Ichigo to show some respect.

Ichigo smirked, "There is a reason I have yet to rid you."

Ishida sputtered as he watched Ichigo begin to pull off his outerwear, "My Lord, what are you doing?"

"Undressing of course."

"Why?"

"I want to be left alone, and these clothes draw too much attention. See?" He pointed to himself nonchalantly, "Now I look like one of the garden boys."

"...No. Now you're standing in your undergarments." Rolling his eyes, Ishida offered, "I will bring you a change of clothing, but please for the time being, do not step out in that."

* * *

><p>Just from a change of clothes, Ichigo felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Now he could walk the castle grounds without the curious eyes on him or the tending hands at his beck and call. He felt free. But still he felt exposed in the open area of the rose gardens. Glancing further beyond the gardens, his scowl lessened slightly as he ventured into the trees where he would be protected from prying eyes.<p>

He wondered how many more days were left before he would have to cease anything slightly reckless, such as this. He knew he shouldn't think like that. Whilst he did not love Senna, he knew her to have a good heart, and given the circumstances he really couldn't ask for more. He shouldn't make the marriage out to be such a burden. And yet he couldn't help it. He felt what he felt, regardless of how he tried to justify the situation.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that it wasn't until he saw the blur of beige that he noticed someone else was in the forest with him.

"Hurry! Catch him!"

Ichigo's defences immediately kicked in as his trained mind prepared him for the possibility of intruders.

He was about to attack when he heard, this time distinctly, the voice of a girl's. "Catch him! Catch him!" She pleaded. The voice was getting louder, an indication that said girl was fast approaching.

Without thinking, Ichigo's hand reached out and caught the first thing that registered in his mind. When he looked down, he saw a set of black beady eyes staring right back at him. It was a rabbit.

He looked up to find a girl bent over her knees with a large smile stretching across her features. She was dressed in a very normal gown of no embroidery and of just one colour, a worn-out beige colour. He noticed she had no shoes on and wondered whether she really was an intruder. But before he was able to question her, she bowed politely to him.

"Thank-you!" She smiled. Her hair was dark against her pale small face and her eyes, not only large in innocence, but possessed an enigmatic shade of amethyst. She radiated something he had not seen before in his Court. Uninhibited energy.

Her eyes were glued to the little pet in his hands before she looked directly into his hazel orbs, "Can I hold it?"

He was so confused as to what a girl like herself was doing in his Court that all he managed was a nod before placing the rabbit into her small hands. He noticed how incredibly petite she was when she held the rabbit as one would a baby. She looked so happy he wondered whether he had in fact placed gold into her hands instead of the rabbit.

Before he realised it, he spoke on his own accord, eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion "Who are you?"

Peeking up with her large eyes that Ichigo simply could not look away from, she hummed, "Me? I'm Rukia." Her voice was surprisingly lower than what he had imagined.

"Are you a maid?" He asked apprehensively.

Rukia couldn't help but chuckle. She couldn't blame him for mistaking her to be outside of royalty, luckily she had never cared for it enough to offend her, "I'm not a maid, no."

She herself didn't know how to describe who she was. Her sister would soon be Queen, but she wasn't really royalty. Would anyone even understand that? She didn't think so, so she wouldn't try.

"I'm merely family to one of the courtesans." She continued stroking the fur of the white rabbit without bothering to even look at the stranger, but it was neither out of rudeness nor thoughtlessness.

"How have I never seen you before?" He asked abruptly, this time with a little annoyance, unaccustomed to being treated so offhandedly.

Her head tilted upwards to take in the view of her stranger when her face hardened slightly, "And who, pray tell, are you?"

Even from a quick glance, Rukia knew it wasn't difficult to surmise that the man was handsome, but his attitude did not sit well with her. She watched with satisfaction as the man's face contorted in a mixture of confusion before agitation and then finally settling with a deep scowl, as though in thought.

He was silent for a brief moment as he seemed to look past her shoulders, "You do not know who I am." It was spoken so softly that Rukia wondered whether the words were for her to hear.

His eyes found hers again and much to Rukia's bewilderment, the man smiled, once again reiterating, "You do not know who I am." The words were spoken with such relief that Rukia had to wonder whether he was someone she should have known. Or perhaps, he was crazy.

"Should I?"

This time, Ichigo couldn't control the laughter that surprised both himself and this 'Rukia' girl. The raven-haired stranger took a step back, held the rabbit firmly, and began to eye the man suspiciously.

Once Ichigo stopped laughing he raised his palms and offered, "I mean you no harm. My name is Ichigo."

Without even realising it, Rukia mumbled softly to herself, "One who protects."

This caught Ichigo off guard as his eyes widened a fraction before smiling at the petite girl. "Ah. One who protects."

He let out a breath of air and for the first time, wholly took in the beauty of the greenery surrounding him, but particularly the mysterious beauty standing in front of him. Suddenly he found himself wanting to know more about the girl.

"Why are you not inside the castle, you understand that it is not looked upon favourably for you to be running in the forest, bare feet no less."

She shrugged as she began walking, not really caring if her acquaintance would follow or not, but Ichigo fell in step naturally as they began roaming aimlessly between the trees. "I am a girl. Unless I am locked inside behind closed doors, everything I do is looked upon unfavourably."

Ichigo couldn't help but think it plausible. "Then why are you not inside practicing your instrument, or your singing, your dancing?"

"I will do what I please, I refuse to succumb to what man deems appropriate for a woman. It is mindless."

Ichigo frowned, "So you are saying that the women in Court are all mindless?" He asked, neither looking at one another as the words rolled easily off their tongues.

She smirked, "Perhaps. I wouldn't know, I am new to Court." She gathered the rabbit more firmly into her arms and proceeded to walk effortlessly.

"That is not very polite."

Rukia chuckled, "The truth is never polite."

Ichigo didn't know why, but he suddenly felt the urge to argue with the girl. Too rare were the times where people spoke their minds to him. "Do you mean to tell me that you think you, who dons nothing more than the simplest gowns covered in dirt with no shoes, are in a superior position to the Courtesans."

Her eyes flared a little bit, and Ichigo couldn't help the excitement that coursed through him. He could not remember feeling so free. "I do not believe in superiority and those were not my words. I merely meant that I choose to think for myself rather than have my life determined for me. More importantly, I will not judge others by their appearance the way you have judged me."

Her voice was calm, but Ichigo knew he had ignited a fire in Rukia.

"You do not believe in superiority. So you are saying you are of equal standing to the Queen." He was goading her.

"Do not put words in my mouth." She spoke in annoyance, something snapping inside her, "Remove the gowns, the jewels and ornaments, take away the maids and the fancy banquets and you are left with a girl really no different to a daughter of a farmer. Same insecurities, same woes, same fundamental priorities. The people around her decide whether she is Queen. If the people turn against her, she may be banished. Tell me then, how much power does this Queen really have."

"You are brave." He gritted as anger took over his tone, "Your words just then could mean your life." He tried to remember that he was the one goading her and that she had not just insulted his mother and his wife-to-be.

She stopped walking and turned sharp eyes on him, unsure of why the mention of the Queen had riled her so much. "Forgive me for I know not how to hold my tongue, but what I speak of is not far from the truth. And if that is considered treason, then I fear for the King and his Kingdom."

Ichigo tensed as his face darkened, feeling the reign on his temper was fast becoming a losing battle, "I shall advise that you learn to show some respect to your King."

Rukia was fast losing her patience. She would not tolerate being lectured by this stranger especially when she had not asked for his companionship. "I shall respect the King when his people stop dying from hunger, when mothers stop crying over their deceased sons in these senseless wars, when he will stop feigning knowledge of what real suffering is."

Ichigo's anger snapped as her words struck a nerve. "Do not presume to know what is clearly beyond your capacity! Your ignorance could have you killed a thousand times. You are no more than a hypocrite." He spoke with vehemence, "Can you tell me that you know the true sense of suffering then?"

Rukia would not back down, her voice only becoming sturdier, "I do not."

Ichigo's anger was tempered slightly, but that was until she spoke again.

"But I do not govern their lives and determine what is best and what isn't for the people."

Rukia knew she resented the King not only by association to Senna, but because of the vast difference inside the castle gates and outside. All she saw was a King failing his people, where the streets were overrun by poverty and sickness.

When Ichigo fell silent, Rukia questioned whether she had overstepped herself. She looked up at his expression and was somewhat surprised that he could mask his emotions so well. He looked deep in thought, but gave nothing else away.

As he maintained his faraway gaze, he asked her, "How old are you?"

Rukia thought it a sudden question to ask, but answered him nonetheless. "Seventeen." And as an afterthought, "And seven months."

Despite the fact that the girl had just insulted him, Ichigo at that moment wanted to laugh again. Finally his gaze dropped back onto the petite girl and wondered just how unique she was. Intelligent for her age, but still overwhelmingly innocent.

Just as Ichigo was about to speak up, a loud rustle of the trees broke through the tension-filled air. Both heads turned to the direction of the noise and watched as the outline of a man came running in their direction. Ichigo cursed mentally as he knew his time alone had come to an abrupt end.

For a brief moment, Rukia thought she would be in trouble, that her father had ordered someone to summon her back into her chambers. She had lost track of time and had wondered longer than she had expected. Subconsciously, she held her breath.

"My Lord!" A boy much smaller than the man before Rukia came to a halt the moment he saw Ichigo and quickly bowed low, "Forgive my disturbance."

"It is quite alright Hanataro." Ichigo sighed. "What is so pressing?"

"Lord Grimmjow has arrived and he is requesting your presence."

Suddenly Rukia was no longer aware of the boy or the rabbit in her arms. Her eyes were trained on the orange-haired man as her mind worked rapidly to decipher the situation. She felt a chill run down her spine as her thoughts were slowly reaching a conclusion.

"He's early." He spoke to himself.

Turning his attention back to Rukia, who now looked guarded and apprehensive, he looked into her amethyst eyes and spoke regretfully, "I'm afraid our time has come to an end."

Narrowing her eyes ever so slightly and her words just above a whisper, she asked, "Who _are_ you?"

If they heard the faint gasp from Hanataro then they did well to conceal it.

Ichigo closed his eyes and took in his last moment of freedom. And then he stared back at the beauty before him.

"I am your King."

**~8~**


	3. It will Rain

**Chapter Two**

**It will Rain**

**~8~  
><strong>

"You are early General." Bypassing all pleasantries, Ichigo merely smirked at his companion as he took a seat in the great hall.

"My Lord." Grimmjow bowed, but not without his own smirk. Like Ishida, the two men had grown up together, so sometimes the formality was foreign. "Your advisor has warned me that you are in a foul mood today." The blue-haired man goaded, pushing back his broad shoulders and taking a seat upon Ichigo's indication.

"My advisor has warned you fittingly." Ichigo sighed, picking at a grape. "What news do you have for me?"

Grimmjow's face darkened instantly and decided to be frank and forthright, time was of the essence. "The news is grim," he warned, and Ichigo's face turned serious, "It seems Aizen intends for a war."

Ichigo's fists clenched but was not surprised. He had dreaded this moment and had known that it was only a matter of time before Aizen would strike. "He has weak manpower in contrast to us. How does he intend to fight against us?"

Grimmjow shook his head, "My spies have informed me that he has somehow gained access to some of our military strategies." Here, Grimmjow paused, looking cautiously at the King. "They have spotted an Albino-,"

"He is dead." Ichigo hissed, instantly attempting to dispel his general's insinuation. "Two years ago."

The general treaded carefully, sensing the warning tone in the King's words. "No body was found." He meant no disrespect but given the circumstances, beating around the bush and wasting time was no longer a luxury at their disposal.

Deep down Ichigo knew his twin could not die so easily. Deep down he knew his brother had staged his own death – to escape the harsh reality that fate had dealt him, to run away before he could see Ichigo step up to the throne. But for Grimmjow to intimate that his own blood would rebel against him, and whilst it was always something Ichigo had suspected, the news was still hard to realize.

As children their personalities were already worlds apart, but in spite of that, the brothers had found a way to coexist. Perhaps it was the outside weight, but as the years went on, the distance became apparent and so began the gradual deterioration of the albino twin's sanity. It began with his harsh words and abrupt anger, but Ichigo could deal with that – always stepping down to his brother. Then it escalated, slowly the albino became paranoid, always snide in his comments, always passively aggressive – Ichigo began to lose control over his brother's state of mind. Inevitably, it worsened. He barely spoke and never left his chambers, unfeeling to the tears of his mother and father.

When the fire broke out in his chamber that fateful night two years ago, the King and Queen were certain it was a suicide, convinced their second son was dead. Ichigo had his doubts.

"Hichigo would not betray me." He paused before adding as an afterthought, "He bears no hatred for me or my Kingdom. What could he gain?"

"Three minutes younger at birth stripped him of any rights to be Ruler. My Lord, my men are certain." The general offered empathetically knowing that Ichigo himself had long been aware of his twin's jealousy and resentment, and then continued, "My spies have retreated. It seems Aizen has grown suspicious and paranoid. Any leads at present have ceased. We need a new spy."

Ichigo internally questioned why Grimmjow had not just sent a different man, "You are inquiring my permission?"

"Yes My Lord." It was a rarity for Grimmjow to be so tense, so Ichigo was able to surmise from that the severity of the circumstances.

"What needs inquiring?"

He hesitated. "It needs to be a woman."

Ichigo scowled, putting his fist down, "No." He answered firmly, "That is ludicrous and barbaric. I would no better be sending her to her death."

"A small sacrifice for your Kingdom." The teal-haired general tried to reason against his own conscience.

Ichigo gritted his teeth, trying not to direct his anger about the situation at Grimmjow, "We _protect_ the women, not send them to their graves."

Grimmjow's anger was spiking, not at the King, but because he too thought it barbaric, but the times were getting desperate. "Aizen is paranoid. He has closed off his castle, taking no one but women and children in."

Grimmjow took in the King's pained look.

"My Lord, we have run out of options."

* * *

><p>Rukia sighed as she rested her chin in her palm, watching from her window as the sky turned a golden orange. It had been ten days since she had arrived in Court, and already she was feeling restless and marginalised. She had done her utmost to avoid any royalty and had therefore found herself smothered in her room. She sighed again, looking wistfully out towards the forest. She had not ventured into the gardens, let alone the forest, since her encounter with the young King. The same young King who played on her mind relentlessly in the past ten days.<p>

She felt the breeze tickle her face and she couldn't help closing her eyes. How she longed to be outside the castle gates, roaming as she pleases. Instead, she was closed up in her room, spending most of her day reading and discovering the world from within its pages. She was wary of putting down her book for fear that her mind would again drift to her bizarre meeting with the King. It shocked her most to realise that this very same King was to be her future brother-in-law. She was not saddened by this revelation, but when she wondered why she could not be happy for Senna, it became too much for her mind to comprehend, and so she dared not venture down that path.

What disturbed Rukia the most was that her King was nothing the way she had pictured him to be, hoped for him to be. She found the man respectable, kind even, and whilst she did not particularly hope for the man to be cruel, she had hoped for an excuse to dislike the King. Yet now she did not know what to make of her sudden change of heart. She had seen him laugh, seen the relief when she had not known who he was, the anger when defending his Court and the sadness when his freedom came to an end. He was so very human in her eyes. Perhaps she had been too harsh in her words and a little bit arrogant for assuming so much. He was right, her words held dire consequences, yet he did nothing but engage in a meaningless debate. She hated that suddenly he had become so interesting to her.

She also did not expect for him to be so attractive.

Sighing for the umpteenth time, she internally chastised herself for even entertaining that thought. She could now understand why Senna was so happy. In that sense, she was happy for her sister knowing how rare it was for an arranged marriage to, in actuality, be a happy marriage.

"Will you please cease the sighing?" Hisana broke through her train of thoughts as she cooed at the little white ball of fur in her hands.

"In my room, I shall do as I please." Rukia retorted with mirth in her eyes.

Hisana laughed, "If only. I'm afraid your behaviour knows no boundaries."

To that, Rukia could only smile.

"Why were you not present for the banquet last night?"

Again, Rukia only smiled, "This is the first I've heard of any banquet." She knew her father had knowingly kept the news from her, which suited her fine since she didn't care for such dinners.

Guilt was stretched across Hisana's features but Rukia was quick to change the topic. "I've seen Senna."

Hisana's eyes immediately brightened, but before she was able to say anything, Rukia continued, "She looks so beautiful. I think she's very happy."

"She is." Hisana agreed, "What did you speak about?"

Rukia shrugged nonchalantly, "Not much. It was quiet for the most part, but she said she was happy to see me... but-," there was hesitation in her voice.

"She is Rukia." Hisana offered firmly. "Senna may not be very expressive with you, but she is still your sister and that means she loves you."

Rukia hoped so.

"So!" Hisana started, "Have you named him?" she asked, indicating at the rabbit resting on her lap.

Rukia walked towards Hisana and knelt down before her sister as she stroked his ears. "Berry."

"Berry? For a boy?"

Rukia smiled. She didn't know why, but she thought it a suitable name.

"What ails you Rukia?" Hisana couldn't help but finally ask, "You have been uncharacteristically quiet." The concern on her face was evident, but Rukia did not need to see her face to know.

"Sister, what purpose do I serve now behind these castle gates?" Rukia responded solemnly and rhetorically, "I do not wish to be here."

It didn't shock Hisana to hear those words but it nevertheless broke her heart, "Rukia you will marry-,"

Rukia's bitter laugh interrupted her sister, "I'm not certain many people know that father bore three daughters let alone have father find me a suitor." She lifted Berry to her eye-level, "And besides, I would sooner choose to live a commoner's life on my own if that means I can see the world, than live a life of riches in my cage."

"You should be grateful-,"

"I _am_ grateful. I am grateful for my health, to be alive. Grateful I never have to be troubled about starving, about falling victim to the wind or rain. I'm grateful... but I am not happy."

Hisana wanted to say something but a knock on the door brought their attention to the man standing in the hallway.

"Father!"

He smiled at Hisana and then looked wearily at Rukia and sighed, "Rukia there is something I wish to speak to you about."

Rukia merely looked back with questioning eyes before nodding as she stood up and followed her father.

Hisana felt uneasy.

* * *

><p>"<em>I was having tea with the Queen Dowager, and it seems she believes there is a war brewing." Senna whispered to her father as they sat in the south garden. <em>

"_Mm." Seiji Tanaka hummed his agreement, "There has been much unrest – it has been this way since the passing of the late King."_

Senna trembled as she walked into her father's chambers, fists clenching by her sides.

"_You mustn't repeat this father. It seems the General is requesting a woman to aid him – in what, I cannot be certain, but the rewards will be tremendous." She sipped her tea, "But that only means that the risks are of equal consequence." _

Without waiting to be acknowledged, she hissed. "Is it true?"

"_What else did the Queen Dowager say?"_

_Senna looked upwards as though in thought, "Nothing revealing, only that the task of finding someone in the past several days has been nothing short of a challenge."_

"Is what tr-," But before he could finish his feigned ignorance, he was interrupted by a slap against the table.

"_Is that so.."_

_She nodded, "Yes. The General requires a woman, but of course Courtesans are excluded from consideration. That only leaves the maids, but it seems they require someone of intelligence."_

"You are sending her to her death!" Senna cried, angry and betrayed.

He did not look at Senna, "Rukia is smart. Give her credit where she deserves." He spoke monotonously.

Blinking back tears, she tried reasoning with her father, "She is a child!"

"She is street-wise. Clever and intelligent-,"

"That is all you have to say? Her intelligence will not protect her from the wrath of a man!"

In truth, Senna never remembered too much of her childhood with Rukia. If she wasn't practicing her sewing, she was playing the violin, and when she was not doing either, she would be training and perfecting her calligraphy. What little time she had to spare, it was always with her frail eldest sister. At times it was not always her choice, but Rukia was prone to wandering the streets, and slowly they lost touch altogether. And then she saw the anguish her younger sister brought to her father and she couldn't help but think Rukia irresponsible, always only doing what she pleases. Hisana had simply said that they were incompatible because they were complete opposites. Senna believed it was because no one gave Rukia a chance.

The guilt consumed her at times, but so did the resentment. She watched their father change after the death of their mother, and it was too easy to place blame on Rukia. Their mother had been of good health, but upon the birth of Rukia, she had died shortly after because her body had unexplainably deteriorated. Father could only believe that Rukia was nothing but a bad omen. Senna never quite agreed, but she could never bring herself to share her life with her younger sister after that. Despite the coldness, she watched Rukia live her life so carefree, always throwing caution to the wind. She wondered how her life would have been had her father not devote all his attention on her.

But despite her conflicting emotions, it never meant she did not love her sister.

"I spoke to you in trust." She could no longer suppress the tremble in voice, whether it was from her anger or sadness she could not distinguish, "You betrayed my trust, and now, you have betrayed Rukia."

"She has already agreed." He responded indifferently, "So has the Queen Dowager and the General."

Senna was in disbelief, "What?" she whispered. "What has she agreed to?" She forced out, trying her best to temper her anger. "Did you ask her, or did you order her?"

Seijii Tanaka had yet to look up from his papers and into the hurt eyes of his middle daughter, "That is of little concern-,"

"Father!" She all but yelled, "Do you not hear yourself?"

"Senna." He said tightly, "We live to serve the King. There has been no one else suitable. I am merely fulfilling my duty to his Highness. She will meet with the King tonight and upon his approval, she will commence training."

A tear rolled down her left cheek, "And what of your duty as a father to Rukia?"

* * *

><p>Ichigo angrily stalked through the south garden as he made his way back towards the castle. It had been ten days since his general and friend had broken the news to him, and in those ten days he felt he was selling his soul to the devil. His heart was conflicted. To send a woman, he understood that any chances of survival were slim, but Grimmjow was right, they had run out of options. The wind began to pick up and night was fast approaching. He needed to be in the throne room to meet the poor girl, he could only hope for her forgiveness. His frown deepened, the guilt almost suffocating him. Even at the banquet he was unable to mask his distress.<p>

He recalled Senna trying with effort to ease his mind. He had merely smiled, reassured her that he was fine and proceeded to tell her that she looked beautiful. Indeed she was beautiful, easily the most beautiful woman in the great hall, and yet his traitorous mind kept drifting back to the petite quick-tongued girl. The same girl who had plagued his thoughts night and day ever since their meeting in the forest. Her words had really lodged itself in his mind and he was suddenly curious to know what she would think of the given situation. He laughed bitterly knowing she would no doubt be disgusted and angry, he would not blame her.

Walking through the double oak doors and safe from the cold turn in temperature, he once again felt the sharp pain of disappointment. He had foolishly wandered off to the forest, hoping in vain to catch the fiery beauty – it had been his third attempt in the last ten days. His mind refused to dwell on the reason behind his action, but he simply felt compelled to see the girl again. She had been so honest with him, so unafraid to voice what she believed in. He couldn't deny how much he respected that, not just the bravery, but her intelligence and morals, her unique character. As he walked through the empty halls, he briefly wondered what she now thought of him. He hated that he cared, but the thought plagued his mind every day. Worst of all, he wasn't sure how it would sit with him if he knew she still thought of her King as ignorant and incapable as she had originally believed.

He knew that despite his efforts, he would eventually give in to his desire and once again attempt his search for her. He knew her name, so it should not be so hard. But what would he do when she is presented to him? What excuse could he use to see her? His mind was good at blocking those doubts out. He would deal with it when the time came.

As he entered his throne room he noticed that his General and Advisor were both already present. It was imperative that the meeting would take place to a minimal and trusted audience, and so he knew he needed only to wait on his mother and said girl.

"My Lord." They both bowed.

Ichigo took his seat on the throne and indicated for his men to follow suit.

"Grimmjow, you have found someone."

"Yes." He answered with some hesitation.

Ichigo merely kept his gaze on his general, a gesture for him to continue.

"The circumstances are odd."

"Odd?" Ichigo frowned.

The teal-haired man nodded once. "The girl is fitting to what is required, however..." he paused, not knowing how to word it.

"Speak Grimmjow." Ichigo prompted patiently.

His face hardened, bracing himself for Ichigo's reaction, "However, it seems the girl is the sister of the Lord's Queen-to-be."

Ichigo's eyes widened, disbelieving what he heard. Immediately his whole demeanour tensed, "You mean to inform me we are sending her frail sister?" He hissed. "And a Courtesan no less."

Grimmjow shook his head, "It seems Seijii Tanaka has a youngest daughter, and she is no Courtesan."

The King glared at nothing in particular. He despised confusion, because confusion meant a loss of control. "How is that possible?"

At this point, Ishida spoke up, "It seems Tanaka-san has neglected to send his third daughter to Court, but the girl is intelligent and less delicate."

Ichigo rubbed his temples, disliking what he was hearing. Too many questions were flooding his mind. Why had Senna never mentioned a younger sister to him? Or had he just been too distant to realize? How had Tanaka agreed to send his daughter? Did Senna know? The situation was spiralling out of control, and suddenly he felt like he was not ready to meet this girl.

"My Lord," Ishida broke through his thoughts, "the Queen Dowager has arrived, and so has Tanaka-san's daughter."

Ichigo looked up as Kurosaki Masaki walked through the doors in all her gracefulness, a magnificent smile displayed at the sight of her son. Ichigo noticed immediately that the height of his mother obscured his sight of the girl.

"Mother." Ichigo couldn't help but offer a small smile, his tension easing slightly just from her calming presence.

"Ichigo." She spoke endearingly. "It never fails to amaze me how handsome and fitting you are on the Throne." She said genuinely.

Ichigo only smiled, never knowing quite how to handle flattery. At that, his mother covered her mouth and laughed. It was no wonder his father, the late King, had loved this woman so much. She was perfection in Ichigo's eyes.

Waving her hand, she dismissed any conversational banter. "There is someone you are here to meet, I shall not waste time." And as she stepped out of the way of the petite girl, any trace of a smile had completely dissipated from his face.

When warm brown orbs fell upon the deep pools of amethyst, Ichigo felt his breath knocked out of him.

"No.."

**~8~**


	4. Confrontation

**Chapter Three**

**Confrontation**

**~8~**

Everyone watched on with bated breath as they waited on their King's reaction. The room had fallen deathly silent and Rukia couldn't help but fidget under the intensity of the stares. She had been hesitant to drop her eye contact with the King as she refused to show weakness or discourtesy, but the power behind his watchful stare weighed too heavily on her and alas, her gaze drifted to the side. The King was not how she remembered him to be. He appeared taller, larger, his face more jagged and mature, his presence demanded indisputable respect, his aura held unimaginable power. He appeared like her King.

She couldn't be sure how long it was before anyone spoke, but to Rukia, it felt like a small eternity having only been accustomed to falling in the shadows of her sisters. She was slowly aware of the questioning glances thrown between the black-haired man and the General, whom she had met with her father only two days ago. The silence in the throne room was fast becoming eerie and Rukia, much to her annoyance, felt the undeniable cold sweat.

Finally like a broken spell, Ichigo spoke, "Tanaka Rukia." His voice was deep but he gave nothing else away and uncaring to the fact that no one had actually spoken her name. He tested the name on this tongue and decided that all of a sudden he hated it. He despised it.

Toneless and emotionless he continued, "The one to infiltrate Aizen's towers."

Rukia didn't know whether to nod or respond, but the lack of response from the other occupants in the room suggested she remain quiet.

Apart from the momentary wince of his eyes, Ichigo remained hardened although indifferent, "Sister to Tanaka Senna." He couldn't say it. He couldn't make the official association between Rukia and himself. He simply could not find the words to describe their relationship for what it truly was. That she was his sister-in-law.

Outwardly the King was calm and composed. Inwardly he was suffocating in the myriad of unwelcome thoughts and emotions. This was all too sudden and all too much. His thoughts and emotions were too foreign for him to grasp, they were unchartered waters that he knew he would inevitably allow himself to drown in someday. The situation was so ironic he had to wonder whether someone was laughing at him from above. This was too cruel. The anger within him was growing, but he could blame no one. Not one person was at fault. So how do you scream the unfairness to fate that is forever unhearing?

Rukia finally bowed to him, and Ichigo couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself at the irony of the words he had once spoken to her.

"_I shall advise that you learn to show some respect to your King."_

"I wish to speak to Lady Rukia alone."

Kurosaki Masaki had known the moment her son had laid eyes on the girl that something was terribly wrong. Though she commended the way he continued to hold himself, the tension was palpable. With an understanding nod, and a firm look at the hesitant General, she led the way out of the room, watching as Ishida closed the doors between herself and her burdened King. Had her judgement in the girl been the wrong one?

Rukia straightened her back, held her head high and calmed her breathing. She would not show weakness or vulnerability. It was her choice to be here. She chose this. She watched with blank eyes as the King regarded her indifferently. Rukia swallowed, he looked so serious. Slowly he rose from his throne, never breaking eye contact as he made his way closer to her.

"You are aware of the circumstances presented to you?" He needed to hear it from her.

She looked at him calmly, "I do." And as an afterthought added, "My Lord."

He did not speak immediately, but when he did, she felt that he had negated her answer. "You do not need to do this."

"It is my choice." She replied, trying to reign in her defiant tone.

"I will grant you pardon and you will be excused from this. None of what has transpired will leave this room. No one will ever know. It is no dishonour."

She swallowed and prayed that he could not see her tremble ever so slightly.

"So I ask you again, do you understand what is expected of you?"

She felt like the room was suddenly closing in on her as she felt her breathing become ragged. She fought with all her willpower to remain composed. This was her choice.

Swallowing, she spoke with conviction, "I do."

Ichigo clenched his fists to refrain from shaking her. "All you need is to say 'no'. I will grant you the pardon, I can show you leniency." He gritted forcefully.

This time she closed her eyes momentarily, refusing to let him see her inner turmoil. "This is my choice."

He looked at her disbelievingly, "That is all you have to say? Where is the quick-tongued girl I chanced on two weeks ago?"

She attempted to hold back her sarcasm, but this escaped her before she was aware, "I do not wish to commit treason twice."

"I did not think you cared." He retorted haughtily.

She smirked, as long as she kept up this facade, she was within safe territories, "I do not. But it is in my best interests to not be killed a thousand times." She was throwing his words from their first encounter right back at him.

He chuckled without humour, "You may be fast with your words, but only a fool would think you intelligent."

Rukia felt herself tense, resenting the comment. Intelligence was all she ever had; she would not allow him to undermine that. "Only a fool should think otherwise." She reaffirmed.

He regarded her once again and she realised now how much she had come to hate it. Somehow she knew that if he truly had his way and exercised his rights as a King, his intelligence would allow him to see the very depths of her soul if that was what he chose. She resented that he held so much power over her, and yet she was grateful he never abused his power. She was not ignorant enough to not see the many times he had simply dismissed her remarks, and she assumed, taken no offense to them.

"What makes you think you are competent of this?" She knew it was a rhetorical question because it was clear as day, even to herself, that she was not skilled for this.

"My father has informed me that I shall receive training once sanction has been granted by our Lord." She replied matter-of-factly.

Ichigo tensed, "Your father?" His face darkened, "And what else has your father informed you?"

Rukia was surprised at her own slip of the tongue and knew immediately Ichigo had already surmised the situation. She was taken aback by the vehemence in his tone and thought desperately of something to say to dispel the direction of questioning.

"Nothing that the General did not he himself say."

"I see." Was all Ichigo said, but she knew the weight of those words. She knew he was seeing a lot more than she intended now.

"Seventeen and seven months." He intended to mock her, but she was merely surprised that he remembered, "You have much to prove don't you Lady Rukia?"

She went rigid and glared at nothing in particular, "If that is what you think."

He chuckled humourlessly again, "I do not speak my thoughts, I speak from knowledge."

"What is it that you wish to achieve from this?" She challenged daringly.

This caught Ichigo off guard. "Pardon?"

"You seem adamant in preventing me from taking on this task." She noticed how his amber orbs instantly narrowed in on her, but it did not waver her determination, "If you are successful, what of the duty then? Do you intend to abandon it?"

Ichigo had to bite his tongue from cursing out loud. The girl had so easily weaved into unchartered grounds, a dangerous territory that Ichigo was not prepared to deal with.

His silence was answer enough, "I doubt that." She deduced calmly, "So even if I am not the chosen one to carry out the task, will you attempt to impede the next girl? How many do you intend to protect before you decide that one's life is less worthy than the others?"

She was right. And yet he had made this mission more personal than he realised.

"Fact of the matter is," She continued, "inevitably someone will have to bear the task. My life is no more precious than anyone else. So if I say to you that this is my choice, then my Lord, it should suffice, should it not?"

By now, he had turned his back on her, making it impossible for Rukia to realise how much her words had affected him. He was silent for a very long while but Rukia waited patiently. When he finally did turn around, she noticed that his expression was hardened. She thought he was walking towards her, but he merely swept past her, not once making any eye contact. Before he exited the throne room, she heard him speak.

"Your training shall commence at the break of dawn. I bid you farewell m'lady." And then, he was gone.

Rukia smiled, neither in sadness nor happiness, and whispered, "Thank-you."

* * *

><p>"Byakuya!"<p>

If the Kuchiki doctor heard his name, he made no indication as he continued on his way unobstructed.

"Hey! Byakuya! Wait for me!"

Byakuya's steps only hurried. With the recent constant change in weather, many people were falling ill, and whilst there were enough doctors within the castle walls, the members of Court demanded only for Byakuya's expertise. Today however, was particularly important that he would not be distracted. Not even for this man.

With a slap on his right shoulder and a blond man leaning over himself to catch his breath, Byakuya summoned his willpower to refrain from sighing.

"Byakuya, your hearing is still as bad as usual." Urahara laughed, slapping the stoic man on his back. The raven-haired man was somewhat grateful for the man's naivety despite being the mastermind that he was, but it still did not make him any less annoying. The man always seemed to have so much spare time, if he wasn't off flirting with the maids – which always resulted in a violent end by the hands of his wife, the man was always loitering within his vicinity. He had hoped that it was coincidental, but when Urahara had on many occasions run across yards to greet him, he knew he was in no such luck. He blamed the blond's wife. One Yoruichi Shihoin. Byakuya wasn't sure why, but the woman had taken a liking to him since he was a child. She claimed it was because he was a child prodigy and he reminded her of herself. He rolled his eyes.

"My apologies my Lord." Byakuya bowed lightly, but said man wasn't even looking.

Byakuya merely kept on walking, and judging by the sound of a second pair of footsteps, he knew he suddenly had an unwelcomed companion. "Beautiful day." Urahara stared off dreamily.

"Perfect day to do nothing." He smiled. Byakuya remained quiet.

"I think I'm sick." He whined.

Byakuya replied monotonously, "What ails you?" Byakuya typically took all his patients seriously, but when the man came to him every second day with a sickness, Byakuya could only do his best to not roll his eyes, particularly when he knew what he was going to say.

"Women."

Silence. Save for the rustling of the leaves.

"I think you understand my pain." Urahara eyed Byakuya suggestively. The doctor did his best to not commit the sight to memory. "Ahh." The blond-haired man sighed wistfully as he stared up into the blue skies, "It is a curse to be handsome." Though he did not seem too perturbed by it.

"Yoruichi has forbid me from my own chambers. Says I need to cure my wandering eyes."

Byakuya adjusted the strap against his shoulder and continued on his way unfazed.

"Say Byakuya, do you have anythi-,"

"I have nothing that cures perverseness." He interrupted curtly.

"Oh." Urahara's hopeful expression fell, looking as pitiful as a kicked puppy.

The walk had never felt so long in Byakuya's mind.

"Well okay, would you care for some tea-,"

"I'm afraid I must decline, I must attend to my patient." Byakuya kept looking straight ahead, willing the man to find some other form of distraction.

Urahara walked alongside the doctor with ease, unruffled by the dismissive tone. "Ah of course. Can I assume it is the elder Tanaka sister? Her illness has become infamous very quickly at Court."

Byakuya was not surprised Urahara knew. The man's wisdom was years ahead of his age, and though the man held much authority, his carefree personality won him many people's favours.

He didn't realise that Byakuya had yet to respond before he continued, "In fact, the Tanaka sisters have become the talk of the Court, and I'm not referring to Tanaka Senna. Are you aware that there is a third sister?"

Byakuya finally saw the familiar doors that would lead him closer to his salvation. He let out a breath of air he hadn't realised he was even holding.

Urahara scratched his chin in thought, "I've heard of their beauty. Well I've seen Tanaka Senna, lovely girl I might add, haven't seen the eldest, and I have only recently known of the third." And then added to himself, "Bazaar."

He turned a right corner right after Byakuya, "Oh and just in the likelihood that you speak to Yoruichi, don't tell her I said the Tanaka sisters are beautiful."

They turned another corner, "In fact, I spoke nothing of the Tanaka sisters."

He walked faster to keep up with Byakuya, "If you could, speak fondly of me to my wife. And I can absolutely forgive you if you told her I was very ill and needed extra attention." He smiled.

"That," he sighed wistfully, "would be lovely."

Byakuya abruptly halted in front of double oak wood doors that looked no different to the other chambers of the Court. He looked blankly at the blond.

"Say, I might pay my Godson a visit." His eyes brightened, "Would you happen to know where Ichigo is?"

He looked up just in time to see Byakuya close the door on him.

"Must not have heard me."

* * *

><p>Ichigo drew back the bow string, arrow sturdy in his right hand, and released, hitting the bonnet dead in the centre. He had been in the west garden for almost an hour with the banter exchanged between himself and Rukia playing over in his head. He had spent the better half of the hour trying to make sense of the situation, but he couldn't figure where to begin.<p>

He vaguely heard the distant sighing from the female courtesans that had rapidly gathered, all watching him from afar. As long as they kept their distance, he wasn't concerned with them.

Straying back to his thoughts and aiming the arrow at a further bonnet, it slowly came to his attention the continued leniency he showed Rukia. Only few could speak to him in the manner that she does and can safely get away with it. None being anyone who had not grown up alongside him. The simple thought of her retorting to everything he said irritated him to no end, so he really couldn't figure why, amongst the frustration, did he find her so beautiful.

He had spoken to her for the second time and still she continued to elude him, even seemingly more mysterious now than their first encounter.

"My Lord, you summoned me?"

"Yes." He replied, eyes still focused on the bonnet ahead before he released the arrow. He did not care to see whether the arrow had made the target and soon found himself facing Senna whom, in his mind, was looking more like a Queen with each passing day.

She smiled gloriously at him and it was undeniable that she was happy to see him. "Your archery is something to be admired." She praised, hoping the compliment would please him – rarely did he summon her and she could not hide her excitement.

He looked down at the ground and then back up at her face, and worry slowly crept up on her as she noticed his apathetic appearance. "When were you planning to tell me about your third sister?" His tone left no room for idle conversation.

Senna tensed, her eyes immediately looked away from his gaze. From her physical reaction, Ichigo concluded that he was correct to assume that he had never been informed of Rukia's existence. "It must have slipped my mind. My sincerest apologies my Lord." He could tell her regret was genuine, but not her excuse.

Unsure of how to approach the matter at hand without speaking too harshly, he turned around and took an arrow from Ishida's grip as he readied for another release. "I see." He said, no longer looking at her. If he had glanced, he would have seen an expression of fear and worry. "Your neglect could have made me look like a fool. Thankfully it did not slip my advisor's mind to inform me." He mocked.

She had never seen the King anything but gentle. Yes powerful, but never fearsome. Today, she was learning more about her future husband. "A genuine mistake my Lord, forgive me." She bowed.

"Senna I am not angry at you." He spoke evenly, and at the words of his forgiveness Senna released the breath she was holding. "Although I fear what more you are withholding from me." He released the arrow, and this time he watched it hit the centre.

At that Senna grew anxious and Ichigo really had to wonder what else did he not know about his own fiancée if she was inclined to hide the existence of a sister. "I assure you my Lord, I am hiding nothing from you." She sounded sincere, but he could not be certain anymore.

"Is Rukia so shameful that you felt the desire to neglect her from the Court's awareness?"

Jealousy coursed through her veins at the name slipping from her beloved's lips. She knew she did not imagine the caring undertone in his words, and this only fuelled on her anger.

However, before she was able to speak, Ichigo continued, "I doubt this was your doing." Senna bit her bottom lip, realising Ichigo would not let the matter go. "I assume you are aware of the General's request." He knew because his mother had informed him so.

"I do." She replied honestly, knowing the King was too smart a man to be fooled by her words.

His cold demeanour chilled her as he had yet to look at her, choosing instead to continue with his archery. He was even glancing at Ishida more than he was glancing at her. "Enlighten me. How does one's father put their own daughter up to a task like what is being requested at hand?"

Senna dared not glare at Ichigo, so instead, she directed her glare at the bonnet Ichigo was aiming at. "What is it that you are insinuating my Lord?" She whispered, her tone darkening.

Whether Ichigo picked up on the change of her tone, she wasn't sure as he seemed unfazed.

"I think you know exactly what I am saying." He replied calmly.

"My father is serving your Kingdom my Lord." Her jealousy was overriding any reasoning, and for the briefest of moments, she could not wait for Rukia to be sent away.

"Tanaka-san has done enough for my Kingdom, as you put it. Is his second child becoming Queen not enough for him?"

Senna's anger spiralled, not only at the insult, but at how far Ichigo was willing to take the argument for the sake of that common sister. She looked at Ichigo only to see that he had ceased his archery and was now looking heatedly at her for a justification.

"My father is serving you, our King, and all you can do is insult him?" she hissed.

"Your father is doing no such thing." She took a step back at the vehemence in his words, never before witnessing her Lord so angry, "He is doing this for his own gain, I will not be a fool to believe otherwise."

"That is not true! He received Rukia's consent. She is acting on her free will!"

"Is that what he has you to believe?" He asked rhetorically, "Agreeing to the General and consenting his daughter before even informing Rukia does not sound like an act of free will."

It was only until he had learned of this revelation, hours after officially meeting Rukia, did his anger fuel him to confront Senna.

She was speechless, but he did not care whether it was from guilt or shock. "This is my castle, my Court. I have eyes everywhere."

"My father meant no contempt." She offered, hoping to calm her fiancé's temper.

At this, Ichigo really wanted to chuckle, "That is subjective. But I shall see for myself."

Senna's eyes widened in disbelief, "You have summoned my father?"

"No." He replied firmly, "But when I do, he will not be so lucky to experience the leniency that I have shown you."

Senna was rendered speechless. This was not how she had anticipated her summons to be. She had put in so much effort to pick out a gown and do her hair the way she knew he liked it. She had been so excited, but now that feeling could not feel further beyond her reach. Deep down she knew she had a long battle ahead of her. For the first time in her life, she whole-heartedly believed the words her father always spoke to her. Rukia was no more than a bad omen.

**~8~**

**AN: ** Thank-you for the reviews! Merry Christmas and Happy (and safe) holidays everyone!


	5. The Royal Banquet

**Chapter Four**

**The Royal Banquet**

**~8~**

Rukia growled in frustration as sweat trickled down the sides of her face. She calmed her rapid breathing and willed her heart to cease drumming as she glared heatedly at the smug General standing a few feet away from her. He returned her glare with a smirk, arms maintaining to be crossed against his broad chest. Rukia pushed her wet bangs behind her ears and steadily rose to a standing position, still panting.

"What is the problem this time?" Her eyes narrowed on the teal-haired man who was increasingly frustrating her with his collected facade.

"I heard you." He made little movement aside from the tilting of his chin to indicate the approximation of where he heard the snapping of twigs.

She subconsciously cast a glance behind her even though she knew she would see nothing but trees and foliage. "This is impossible." She hissed, "We are in the forest, how am I to not make a sound if I am expected to run?"

"This is why we call this stealth training." He mocked her, which only further fuelled her impatience.

She took in a steady breath before evening out her tone, "It has been four days, and all that I have accomplished is run blindly through these trees." She gritted through clenched teeth.

He remained unmoving, still patiently eyeing her as she struggled to catch her breath. He gave her credit for that. The girl had stamina. They had been out under the sun for three hours now. "I hardly consider anything an accomplishment thus far, when all that you've shown me is failure." There was no callous tone to his words, only slight provocation.

She bit her tongue from any quick remarks and instead chose to regard the General quietly, daringly. It had been the same in the past four days. From day one, he had told her to run for yards on end, only warning her to make no sounds. Her first attempt was simply tragic, the sound of her footsteps had never resonated so loudly in her ears. Upon her third and fourth attempt on the first day, she had improved slightly, but still it was impossible to stay quiet with the constant snapping of twigs or crunching of leaves.

"If you have enough breath to speak, I suggest you continue running."

"Will you not offer me further advice?" After the first day, he had not offered any more instructions.

He smirked, "No."

Rukia clenched her fists. Grimmjow was infamous in Court for his intelligence and strength, someone to be reckoned with. His influence was far reaching and only few held more authority than he did. Rukia, however, thought he was no more than a bully.

"I have not rested." She tried to reason with him, "The more tired I grow, the more sluggish my movements."

"And the more you speak, the more I am wondering why you are still standing in front of me." Grimmjow wanted to laugh outright when her face reddened and her little body trembled.

"You." She shook, "You unreasonable bully!"

This time, Grimmjow really did laugh heartily. He could see why Ichigo had found her so intriguing. "You wound me m'lady."

She mirrored his posture and crossed her arms against her modest chest, realising only after the words had slipped her mouth how childish she had sounded. Attempting to redeem what little dignity she had left, she tried to steer the conversation, "Perhaps we could take a rest from stealth training and commence something else?"

He chuckled, "Interesting." He mumbled to himself.

She looked at him suspiciously, "What is?"

"For a small body like yours, it baffles me how you can sound as loud as an elephant." The fact that he spoke so seriously infuriated her but before she was able to unleash an earful on him, he continued unfazed, "How do you intend to progress in other areas when you cannot even accomplish the basic groundwork?"

"How do you expect me to accomplish basic groundwork when you fail to facilitate me?" She shot back haughtily at him.

"I was under the impression that you were intelligent." He countered easily.

"I was under the impression that you were competent." She hoped against hope that she was not letting on how much he was actually getting to her. It didn't help that he seemed so indifferent.

"I am. Ever heard of the saying of one being dealt with a harsh hand by God?"

"Of course." She knew he was mocking her; it didn't take someone smart to know what it meant.

"You are the harsh hand, and I am God."

At that, her face contorted to a mixture of annoyance and incredulity. She wanted to correct him but knew he had purposefully phrased it that way.

"Ever heard of the saying-"

"No." He dismissed, "You are just conjuring that up. Why are we still talking? Run."

"Not until you accommodate me with guidance." She stood her ground firmly.

He fell silent for a while before he looked at her. For the first time, she felt like he was taking her seriously. "Advice and guidance you say?"

She nodded resolutely, somehow figuring that she would be getting a lot more than she had expected. However, nothing could prepare her for his first words.

"Stop wasting my time."

* * *

><p>"<em>You are smart for your age, I shall give you that. But do not confuse that with intelligence. You are untainted by the corruptness of the Court, which deems you unique, but that is where it ends. That is all that distinguishes you from the other women of Court. Do you think you are the only one with a story to tell? The only one who has suffered quietly?<em>

_Why should I offer you my guidance when all you have shown me is a half willingness to be here? _

_I care little for what story you think you have to tell, but I warn you now, when it is still not too late - I will not have you exploit this for your own motives, your validation of self-worth. You have been entrusted to serve this Kingdom; your decisions no longer affect only yourself. I will not have you jeopardise the state of the Kingdom because of your childish sense of pride._

_If you wish to throw your life away to prove yourself, then do so elsewhere, I will not be held responsible for your death. I have had enough of them in my lifetime."_

Rukia was jolted from her thoughts when she felt the soft furriness against the side of her foot. Picking Berry up, she walked towards the side of the bed where Hisana was sleeping in, and made herself comfortable in the chair. In the silence her mind easily drifted back to the words Grimmjow had spoken to her several hours ago and she closed her eyes. She recalled how her body had become numb and how embarrassed she was. His sarcastic remarks she could easily deflect, but such honesty was hard to embrace.

She remembered he had kept his tone impartial, neither sympathetic nor cruel, and that made it all the much harder to grasp. Had he been cruel she could have reacted angrily, but all she felt was a sadness she couldn't define. She wished she had been angry at his words, anger was an easy emotion to control, she was familiar with it and therefore comfortable with it. When he had walked away and called it a day, she remembered the slither of shame that had wormed its way into her conscience. Somehow, in the midst of it all, she had a newfound sense of respect for the General, much to her dismay.

"Rukia?" Hisana's weak voice broke through her train of thoughts, "What are you doing here?"

Rukia smiled at her sister, "Seeing how you are of course."

Hisana coughed as she heaved herself up into a sitting position, "I have assured you time and time again that I am fine." She spoke with a tired sense of relief.

"You collapsed and are still bedridden. I hardly consider that adequate." Rukia rolled her eyes but still managed a playful tone to her voice.

"Mm." Hisana hummed, "Must be this weather." Rukia did not need to know she had collapsed upon hearing that her father had consented to sending Rukia to an unstable and volatile Kingdom. The shock and hurt was too much for her fragile health to endure.

"Mm." Rukia hummed her doubt in response.

Rukia sheepishly scratched at a nonexistent itch on her right cheek as a blush dusted across her face, "I was also hoping you could assist me in preparation for the banquet tonight." She asked uneasily, "I have never attended one."

Hisana's heart reached out to her sister and all of a sudden, she was reminded that Rukia was still only seventeen years of age. Despite her independence and emotional strength, she was still just a child, and every child wanted to belong.

"I would love nothing more." Hisana smiled.

"You will be in attendance yes?" Rukia asked quickly.

Again Hisana was made very aware of Rukia's youth... and neglect. She was never trained for occasions such as banquets, never accustomed to the demographic of the people in attendance and unfamiliar to the life of nobility.

She nodded, "I will." Rukia merely responded with a nod, but Hisana could only assume there was a sense of relief.

Rukia was too busy playing with Berry that she had missed the concerned look on Hisana's face, "Have you spoken to father?"

"Once." Rukia replied off-handedly as she continued to stroke the white fur. It was a subject matter she despised talking about with her sister knowing the stress it brought her delicate mind. "He inquired about my training."

"Then," Hisana hesitated, internally debating whether she should ask Rukia. In the end her concern for her father won out, "are you aware that the King has summoned him?"

Rukia tensed and chanced a quick glance at her sister. She would not let on that it alarmed her as Hisana was still weak, so she steadied her tone and spoke, "It must be regarding the wedding."

But Rukia knew better, particularly after what the General had said to her. Their suspicion in her father was growing and she knew Ichigo had been quick to pick up on her mistake. It had been silly of her to hope that the King would let the matter drop; she should have known any matter concerning the welfare of the Kingdom would not be handled lightly. Much had been underestimated.

"Perhaps." And Hisana let the issue go, "So," She clasped her hands together, "what gown shall we fit you in tonight."

Rukia groaned.

* * *

><p>The atmosphere had quickly escalated to a loud and joyous one with the band of musicians by the balcony playing a three beat waltz. Couples were dancing, the men were drinking heartily and the women, clad in their finest gowns and jewels, were laughing merrily with other guests. As though knowing of the Royal Banquet, the night air had graced the Court with a comfortable warm breeze and a cloudless night.<p>

Seated at the head of the great hall was Ichigo, who by now was looking rather bored with his wine glass resting languidly in his right hand. He refrained from resting his chin in his palm as he watched his members of court, some of which were of the noblest of the noble families, intoxicate themselves. He was jealous they could be so carefree and wondered how his father managed to enjoy himself on such occasions when the Kingdom's affairs seemed endless. He watched on enviously as couples danced blissfully to the upbeat waltz and wondered traitorously whether their relationship was arranged or of free will, and then decided it mattered little to him.

The dinner, not an hour ago, had been nothing short of festive, and while the guests had easily slipped into their normal custom of boasting, Ichigo had been aware of the tension that lingered between him and his Queen-to-be. He was silently grateful for his Godparents whose incessant talking dispelled the awkwardness to the observer's eye, however, the uneasiness that only he saw in Senna's body language spoke volumes of the obvious discomfort between them. Eyeing his fiancée's profile as she politely sipped her wine and watched on as the women continued to boast of their gowns and jewels; he admitted internally how graceful she looked. Her eyes were large in innocence and he couldn't help but think how much it contrasted against the deep maroon of the gown she had donned. Whilst it was beautiful and suited her social standing, he couldn't deny how conflicting he thought it was.

A loud boisterous laugh had Ichigo turning his attention to his Godfather who had drunkenly stumbled his way across the room to his wife. Ichigo chuckled and reminded himself that the banquet was held in honour of his godfather's fiftieth, and that the least he could do was feign some manner of joy. However, when he was reminded of the absence of someone he had been expecting, he couldn't help the disappointment that clouded his mood. When the last of the guests had arrived and the bell had sounded for dinner to commence, he had tried to convince himself that the sudden loss in appetite was because of the mounting political matters and certainly not due to the lack of amethyst eyes. It troubled him more when his traitorous eyes would continually flicker towards the doors in vain hope that she was merely tardy.

"Who's dying?"

Senna turned shocked eyes on the teal-haired man who had just taken the seat that had been occupied by the Queen Dowager and took another swig of his wine.

Ichigo ignored the man and pretended he didn't understand the implication of his words.

Grimmjow was quick to greet Senna, albeit somewhat too causally as the effect of the wine was fast becoming apparent. This Grimmjow reminded Ichigo of their younger years, so he welcomed it.

"Lord Grimmjow." Senna tipped her head forward slightly in acknowledgement, even though they had formally addressed each other before the dinner, and proceeded to engage in idle conversation to a Courtesan whom Senna had met in her initial days.

"Good food, good wine, good company, but still the Lord looks sour." Grimmjow chuckled.

"I _had _good company." Ichigo corrected, watching with mirth as Yoruichi had Urahara by the ears as Byakuya took a larger mouthful of wine than typical. It never ceased to bring him enjoyment watching the pain his Godparents brought his doctor.

"When do you figure Urahara will die by the hands of his own wife?" Grimmjow mused, lazily eyeing the intoxicated couple as he finished the remaining droplets in his glass.

Ichigo chuckled and by habit, raised his own glass to his lips and allowed the sweet wine to sooth his throat. "Probably won't live to see his fifty-first if he cannot tame those treacherous eyes."

"Curiosity will be the death of him even though he is but a harmless old man."

"He is not _that_ harmless." And just from that they were served with the memory of the times they had encountered his wrath having destroyed his working station more times than they could count as pre-teens.

They both laughed and for a while, Ichigo found himself relaxing as he finally eased his mood into the festivity of the night. The moment, however, was short-lived when Ichigo's eyes, this time, did not deceive him as he caught sight of the one person he had held his breath for.

Ichigo felt his breath shorten as he drank in the sight of the raven-haired girl dressed immaculately in her deep maroon gown, looking just as mysteriously beautiful as he had remembered her to be. Her hair was pulled loosely into a low bun as a few stubborn tendrils of hair framed her small face. Her eyes, dusted lightly with a charcoal colour, enhanced the vividness of her amethyst orbs and brought out the seductive aura that seemed to radiate naturally from the small girl. Her posture, though straight and outwardly radiated confidence, revealed a timidity that was evident in the stiffness of her body language.

She was invisible to most of the occupants in the room as the effect of the wine had long escalated from the point of attentiveness. She stepped further into the room as her eyes scanned the hall, slowly testing the waters. As her courage grew, she ventured further into the room before her cautious eyes settled in Ichigo's direction. Their gazes locked for a brief moment before Ichigo watched as her gaze dropped to the person beside him. It was only then did he realise that this was the first time he was witnessing all the sisters in the same place. He briefly studied the look across Senna's face and concluded easily that the middle sister was distressed. Whether it was Rukia's presence in general or the fact that Rukia too donned a maroon gown, though deeper in shade, Ichigo could not be certain.

Taking in a steady breath, Rukia excused herself from Hisana and made her way towards the King with as much grace as she could muster. Bowing low upon seeing the three occupants, Senna eyed Rukia awkwardly, unseeing to the heated stare Ichigo was directing at Rukia. "My Lord."

Rukia attempted a smile at Senna but only received a tense and uncomfortable nod in return. "Sister." She acknowledged crestfallen, inside chastising herself for picking maroon of all colours. "You look elegant, as always." They were genuine words, but it did little to reach Senna.

Ichigo was intent on watching the scene unfold, determined to gauge for himself the nature of the sister's relationship. However, as soon as Rukia's attention fell on the general, Ichigo felt a sharp stab of jealousy course through his blood. She bowed, though not nearly as low as she had with Ichigo, and acknowledged the general before further fuelling Ichigo's annoyance when she asked for permission to speak with Grimmjow.

"Then speak." Grimmjow teased as he leaned comfortably in his seat.

Rukia pursed her lips and glanced uncomfortably at the King, whom she had noticed had not let up on his intent watch. "Alone?" She knew he was half provoking half teasing her.

Grimmjow laughed but stood nonetheless, "My, how forward you are Lady Rukia."

Rukia did all she could from blushing and did her best to avoid eye contact with her sister and her King.

"I am vulnerable tonight m'lady," Grimmjow joked in his hazy state, "So I shall welcome your advances tonight."

"Grimmjow." Ichigo's interjected seriously, his word laced with a grave warning.

Grimmjow laughed and nodded, to which did very little in calming the jealousy that was running rampant in Ichigo.

Bowing one more time to her King before offering another smile to her sister, Rukia led Grimmjow toward one of the pillars by the far edge of the room, well away from most prying eyes. Grimmjow was quick to make himself comfortable by leaning on the pillar and crossing his arms across his chest, just as he had during their training. Rukia bit her lip to prevent showing any outward signs of aggravation as she noted the smug expression on his face and body language. Hoping to rid herself of the situation as soon as possible, she lunged straight into her point.

"If you felt that I was wasting your time, I am here to offer my apologies. It was not my intent." Whilst her words were firm, her tone spoke of honesty and sincerity.

Grimmjow did not speak, so she took it as her cue to continue, "The words you spoke earlier today, I can understand them." She said earnestly, "That isn't to say that I agree with you, but your opinion is your own. I think I needed to hear it too." She admitted, though only offering her last sentence under her breath.

She knew he heard her when the corner of his lips quirked upwards, "I do not like what you think of me. So I will make sure to change your opinion." It was a promise, and he knew it.

He chuckled and shook his head, seemingly completely sober, "I'm not sure you completely understood my words, otherwise you would not be standing in front of me, once again feeling a desire to prove yourself."

She couldn't deny the truth in what he said, but just as she was about to defend herself, he continued, "You care too much of what others think of you."

Her mouth closed at that, having no reply for it. But it didn't seem the General was expecting one when she felt his large hand placed on top of her head. Her eyes widened in innocence and confusion. "You're a good kid." And instead of the smug expression she was so prone to associating him with, she saw an honest smile. "I shall see you for training at the break of dawn."

He was about to take his leave but was stopped when Rukia made a move to stand in front of him. "Thank-you." She offered. She wasn't certain why she suddenly felt so relieved, but she couldn't deny the elated feeling.

Grimmjow smirked, "I hope by day's end tomorrow, you will remember the gratitude you are feeling towards me now, for I am certain those will be the furthest two words you will wish to utter to me."

She nodded, mentally bracing herself for what he had in mind for her.

"But for now, it is in my best interests to take my leave." And then muttered under his breath, "I do not wish to fall on his foul side." He spoke with mirth, which only left Rukia more confused.

Watching from within the shadows behind the pillar, Rukia let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding as she watched Grimmjow make his way toward the people. It was quiet from where she stood and she wondered briefly where Hisana was before her eyes fell upon her eldest sister laughing to whatever her companion had said. She took a step forth, determined to partake in her first official banquet, but her step faltered, and before she knew it, her back had hit the pillar. Once again, she found herself shielded in the shadows. Sighing, she closed her eyes and willed herself to summon the courage to at least walk across the room to join Hisana.

As she kept her eyes closed and her right hand atop her drumming heart, she suddenly heard her name spoken.

"Rukia."

Opening her eyes, she found herself looking up at the handsome young King who had now joined her in the shadows.

**~8~**


	6. Dancing under the Spell

**Chapter Five**

**Dancing under the Spell**

**~8~**

When her heart thundered at the mere sight of Ichigo standing before her, Rukia convinced herself it was the shock that had made her catch her breath. She peered at him through her thick lashes and couldn't help her traitorous thoughts as she quickly glanced off to the side, her cheeks colouring. She could forget that he was the most powerful man in the Kingdom and conveniently overlook his relationship with Senna, but she could never deny how handsome she thought he was. She realised in that moment just how tall he actually was, and wondered how odd of an imagery for them to be standing together. At least Senna was almost a head taller than she was.

She made a move to address him again, but the expression he was wearing made her falter. He seemed tense, almost agitated. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were unreadable and it didn't help that the dim lighting hindered her vision. A sudden loud chortle from a drunken guest diverted Rukia's attention to the side, and to her relief, she had not missed the cautious flicker of his eyes too. The man was escorted outside to the north garden by an equally drunken friend, and their night continued unconstrained and unaware of the presence of their King. To that, Rukia was relieved. She preferred to be out of sight.

"What was so demanding of the General's attention?" Ichigo looked at her coolly and cocked an eyebrow.

Rukia's brows furrowed slightly, "Excuse me?"

"I would assume it was a matter of importance for you to be requesting a private discussion with Grimmjow." He looked down to see a puzzled face, and from the dim lighting, it only further made her more captivating. They were standing near the doors that led to the gardens and only guests retiring for the night would walk past, leaving them hidden to the eyes of many.

"I guess one would consider it important." She tried to keep as much of the details from Ichigo as possible lest she was willing to embarrass herself again to another person.

"Well see that is where it confuses me. If the issue was of importance, as you say it is, what reason do you have for concealing it from me?" He spoke matter-of-factly. A part of Ichigo knew his actions were running on emotions alone, but that part he repressed as he convinced himself he was being entirely objective about this.

As this was her first royal banquet, Rukia was unsure whether she had acted inappropriately in front of the King and therefore didn't dare to retaliate in anger, so she tried to reason with him, "The matter is private in nature, unworthy of your time and unfit for the night's mood."

"And what would you know of the night's mood, you have been absent for the greater part of it." When he saw that she was genuinely unaware of the cause of his annoyance, it only made him more agitated, so he pushed. He was annoyed with no justifiable reason, so he resorted to provoking her into an argument.

"Forgive my lateness, I did not mean to offend you," She replied impartially, emotionally. She did not want to get into another debate with the King, and hoped to be done with this, "Although I doubt my absence was of any significance."

"It is not I that you have offended, the banquet is held in honour of my godfather's fiftieth. I would imagine even you would understand the importance of punctuality."

At that, Rukia stiffened and glared at the floor, her eyes pained as Ichigo's words struck a chord too close to her heart. "Even me?" Rukia realised at that point that the feeling of alienation would sting as harshly as it does the first time, and every other time.

"I shall make my way over to your godfather and apologise immediately," Her voice had taken on a deeper tone, one that signified restrained anger, "but I will not be surprised if he cares little for exactly who I am or the moment I arrived. But if it means so much to my Lord, then I shall humbly ask for forgiveness."

"You don't sound sorry at all. Is it by habit that you become defensive when you know that you are in the wrong?" Having no option to convey his inner feelings, he opted to make her feel as agitated as he was, and a part of it, much to his loathing, brought him satisfaction.

This time, she directed her glare at him. "If you were not so quick to draw conclusions, you would be more forgiving." She had done nothing to deserve his hostility, and she simply couldn't understand why he had deliberately gone out of his way to make her feel unwelcome.

"Perhaps that was something you should have considered before requesting for the General's private audience."

"I am sorry I do not know how one should behave in court nor the etiquette expected from the women, but had I known it would offend you so, I would have never uttered a word."She hoped he did not detect the hurt in her voice.

"My court is not a place for you to come and go as you please, so as I said before, you have not offended me, but your actions could very well set a poor precedent."

"My Lord." It took everything to not raise her voice, though her tone was now grave, "My eldest sister is unwell and prone to sudden fits of coughing. We simply wished to avoid embarrassing ourselves and Senna during the dinner and thought it best to partake in the later festivities. But now it seems my being here has dampened the Lord's mood, so I shall ask that you pardon me for the night." It scared her how cold and impersonal she could sound.

She would not let him see how much his words had hurt her, nor would she allow herself to feel disappointment from the outcome of their meeting. It shocked her to realise the impact his words could have on her, but knew she was the only one to blame for daring to hope for anything more. As she made a move to walk away, her body half turned, his sudden plea halted all movements.

"Wait!" His voice had sounded urgent, panicked even, as his arm reached for her elbow, holding her firmly to keep her from leaving. His arm had moved before his mind was able to process it, but he was certain he had pushed too far and had not achieved the desired outcome. Whatever that desired outcome was, he didn't know.

"Wait." He was quick to release her elbow as though it burned him and hastily composed himself "I'm sorry." He mumbled hesitantly, shame lacing his words.

"That was improper of me." He offered earnestly and Rukia immediately noticed the change in his demeanour. His eyes were cast to the side and any trace of his previous callousness was gone. "My apologies my lady. So please... just stay."

The last part was so softly spoken, Rukia was sure her ears had deceived her. However, judging from his behaviour, she knew she had not imagined the last of his words. She was slightly shocked by his swift change in attitude and couldn't help but study his side profile as he suddenly found the marble walls too interesting to tear his gaze from. The atmosphere became uncomfortable as a silence settled around them, and Ichigo mentally cursed himself for allowing his emotions to once again influence his words.

"Rukia." She stated with a shrug.

Ichigo's curious gaze finally drifted back to the petite girl before him, "Excuse me?"

"Please, just 'Rukia' is fine. It is the only title I've ever known. Moreover, 'Lady Rukia' makes me sound so old." She scrunched her nose to exemplify her distaste, her tone becoming light-hearted to show that all was forgiven.

Ichigo's shoulders relaxed as his guilt was lifted. The conversation was becoming familiar grounds again and that would satisfy him for now. "If memory serves me correctly, you are soon to be eighteen, a ripe age for marriage. Perhaps you should learn to come to peace with your age." He smiled, half-teasing.

"And I suppose with your impending marriage, you are not eighteen in age?"

Ichigo's brows furrowed in confusion, then disbelief, before he all but laughed in her face. The mention of his marriage dulled his mood slightly, but that was quickly forgotten when he registered what Rukia was implicating about his age.

"What is so funny?" She crossed her arms and pouted, not liking that he was laughing at, what she could only assume, her.

"How old do you think I am?" He asked, his eyes dancing with amusement.

Her eyes narrowed faintly in scepticism before tentatively replying, "Twenty...one?"

"I am twenty-six m'lady." He smirked

"Oh. You're so old." Her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened at the shock of those words slipping from her lips. She watched his face darken and quickly made an attempt to redeem her words, "What I meant to say was-,"

"I am not old!" Ichigo reassured himself that he was merely correcting her and there certainly was no sudden upward inflection in his tone that very clearly sounded like a whine. Clearing his throat and reinstating his position as anything _but_ a seven year old, he evened his tone, "We men are different to women-,"

"You don't say." She rolled her eyes, once again, her tongue too quick for her own good.

Ichigo glared at her and continued as though uninterrupted, "I have achieved much of what young years that I have lived, so it does not concern me how old I am, or how old _you_ think I am." And yet it concerned him greatly.

Ichigo did not want to speculate why the idea of Rukia thinking he was old bothered him so much.

"Of course you have achieved much my Lord, you are not only a King, but you have also lived so much longer than I have." Rukia muffled a giggle as she watched the King's attitude regress to a child's.

"Our age is not that far apart!" He sulked, "Senna is three years older than you, and five younger than me, and she will be my wife."

A heavy silence hung over a sudden tension-filled atmosphere. The words had slipped his mouth before his brain was able to register his thoughts. He was merely pointing out the truth and had not intended to bring the matter up as it was the furthest thing from his mind, yet somehow his guard always fell short around this girl. He could not believe how careless he was with his words and wished desperately that she would be able to dismiss it.

"Oh, um. Yes.." It felt like a bucket of water had been poured over her head, and the illusion that she was talking with an equal had abruptly evaporated. For a brief moment, he was just Ichigo to her, the same stranger she met in the gardens almost a month ago.

Closing his eyes he sighed, "What I meant to say is that it is not uncommon for older men to marry much younger women. When you bear that in mind, you will understand that I am not so much older than you are."

He looked to see that she was simply smiling at him and now wished for nothing more than to hit his head against the marble walls. Repeatedly.

"...sorry." He mumbled, defeated.

"You should be." She replied easily. He did not miss the upward quirk of her lips and the mischievous glint in her eyes that signified the disregard of his hasty words. At that point, he couldn't help but admire the girl. He was made so aware of the fact that Rukia was still so uncorrupted by the ways of the Court, and for that, he envied her.

"I see you are still just as uncouth. What man do you expect would want you m'lady?" He smirked.

"A wise man of course." She lifted her chin up in exaggerated pride. "A man who has seen the world and will value my opinion. A man who is unafraid of a challenge, strong with a sword but gentle with the heart. A man who will possess an undying love for me." She hoped he would see her dramatics as no more than a light-hearted joke.

"This man you speak of, I think I may know him." He pondered seriously, and in that instance Rukia wanted to dispel the shallow illusion she had in jest created of herself. "Yes. I see him a lot in my sisters' bedtime stories. Shame, always dies in the end." He shrugged his shoulders in mock sorrow.

"A heroic death I would expect." She really wanted to laugh.

"Ahh, no. Typically all it takes is a hit to the head. But I suppose heroic in that he never begs for his life."

She looked at him in mock suspicion, "What kind of stories do you read to your sisters? They certainly do not entail my hero of a husband."

"And what would that be? A farmer?" He was quick with his response.

"A King." But she was quicker.

Too quick.

His breath stopped short and his eyes widened. He saw and heard nothing but Rukia, and everything else started to blur in the background.

It was all in jest, but Rukia had accidentally overstepped her boundaries, and she was horrified.

* * *

><p>It was true that many of the women of nobility and court had preferred to wear maroon at the banquet, but in spite of that, it was hard to believe the beauty of Rukia when she walked though those doors in her deep maroon gown, only several shades darker than her own. She had perfected shutting Rukia out of her life that she was only beginning to realise now, how much she had overlooked the potential in their youngest sister. The thought caused her much confusion since she never really knew how she genuinely felt towards Rukia. At some point in her young life, she had come to accept that she could never love her sister without blame, and could never hate her sister without guilt. So in the pursuit of mental preservation, and some thread of sanity, she decided it was best to simply shut Rukia out from her life. That way, no one could get too hurt.<p>

Perhaps she had always known of the threat she saw within Rukia, that somewhere along the way she began to develop a certain bitterness, one she couldn't properly explain until the banquet. When she had laid eyes on her sister as she walked into the great hall, she felt pride. A pride that only a sister could feel for another sibling. However, with that pride, she also felt a greater sense of worry, and when she saw the reaction in Ichigo, her worries were only confirmed. Somehow, somewhere along the way, beyond the awareness of her family, Rukia had matched her in every way.

When Ichigo had suddenly left his seat without so much as a word to her, her heart had plummeted. Her eyes could not bear to watch as he walked in the direction that her sister had just led the General in. She feigned ignorance and pretended she had not noticed Ichigo leaving, but she didn't need to see to guess why her King had left. However, even as she now stood outside the King's bed chambers, she refused to feel sorry for herself. She reminded herself that their engagement was authentic, that _she_ was the one to be Queen, and that Ichigo would someday grow to fall in love with her.

"Lord Ichigo." She smiled upon noticing the tall build making his way towards her.

He looked up in mild surprise as he approached her. "Senna? What are you doing here?" He sounded so gentle and so unlike the King that had chastised her in the gardens that she felt herself being comforted by his mere presence.

"I waited for you my Lord." She smiled, "I turned around at the table, and you were no longer there. I waited, but you never returned." There was no accusation in her tone, only a simple stating of truth.

"My apologies Senna." He looked away as he spoke, his eyes filled with guilt, "I did not mean to abandon you." She could tell his words were genuine, and she hated it even more. She hated him for being a good man, for making him so easy to fall in love with. She hated that he felt remorse because it only further emphasized his lack of rationality in his actions. She did not want to think of what could affect her fiancé like that.

"It must have been pressing for it to hold my Lord's attention for so long." She hoped in vain that with some prompting, he would reveal to her his whereabouts for the rest of the night. She hoped that it would bring her mind to ease.

"Nothing of that sort." He dismissed, "I promised Urahara I would leave political affairs til sunrise."

"I see." She whispered, a sadness clouding over her.

Even after months of courtship, Ichigo still didn't know how to act around Senna, so with exhaustion taking over his body he was quick to finish the night. "It is late, you should retire for the night. I will walk you to your chambers." He didn't bother to wonder why she did not have her maid with her.

"My Lord, may I stay with you tonight?" Her words were spoken so firmly and boldly that Ichigo faltered in his step. She placed her small hands against his chest and leaned into him, resting her head against his heartbeat. She closed her eyes and breathed in the unique scent that was distinctly Ichigo's. She felt a surge of adrenaline as she felt her first taste of intimacy with Ichigo.

He understood the implications clearly. His eyes widened at her forwardness as her face remained calm and awaiting. Looking at her properly for the first time for the night when she peered up at him with wide eyes, he admitted to himself how beautiful his future Queen was. She was everything a man could ever hope for, a perfect wife in every way. He could not deny the temptation. Beneath the King that he was, he was still just a man. A man faced with a beautiful woman, who would soon be lawfully his, offering herself entirely to him. Only a fool would turn the opportunity away.

"That would not be wise." He sighed, exercising as much constraint as possible, "I will not tarnish your honour." He ignored the voice in his head telling him it was only a half truth. "The day has been long, so please, rest."

"It is no dishonour." Her arms moved to wrap around his torso, "You are King and my future husband, is it not our right to be together?"

Physically, he desired her, but when his mind was filled with nothing but violet eyes, he knew he would not be able to forgive himself for using her as a substitute, even for only one night.

"It is our right only when our union has been blessed by our people." He exhaled quietly, placing his hands on her shoulders but making no further movement.

"But you are the King, you may do as you please."

He couldn't help but feel a sudden resentment to those words. He had never been taught to think like that, nor were his values in line to what Senna had just said. He found he did not like it at all.

"Only an inept King will do as he wishes, Senna." There was finality in his tone as he gently manoeuvred himself from Senna's hold. "My words are absolute. I shall walk you back to your chambers and you shall rest."

Out of desperation and being driven by her emotions, she abruptly said, "Is there something you find unsatisfactory about me?" She had lost the alluring and seductive tone she had taken on just moments ago, and now spoke firmly with a mixture of hurt and subtle anger.

As a result of boldness, she reached for his hand and placed it against her right cheek, her eyes never leaving his. She took a step towards him, leaving no room between them. Her breath was quickening as she tried to decipher the meaning behind his gaze. He watched intently as she placed a soft lingering kiss against his palm, and then his knuckles, and then his fingers and closed her eyes. She could not help the tingle that ran through her body as she felt the heat radiating from his body. Finally, she laced her fingers with his and placed it above her left breast against her heartbeat.

"Remember my Lord, my heart and my _body_ are yours for the taking."

**~8~**


	7. The Godparents

**Chapter Six**

**The Godparents**

**~8~**

Urahara would not live to see the end of his fiftieth-and-first day.

If not by the hands of Yoruichi, then Ichigo would make sure of it.

"My head hurts." He whined for the umpteenth time that morning as he trailed pathetically behind Ichigo and Yoruichi in the courtyard, "Why did you get me so inebriated my love?"

Yoruichi turned sharp eyes on her husband but continued her strides, "Don't you dare place blame on me Urahara. Your actions are your own and so are the consequences. Your presence has not been requested today, be gone if it displeases you to be here." Her silky smooth voice held a severe undertone of warning, reminding the blond man that he had been the one begging to join the pair.

Unfortunately her husband, despite the many years of marriage, was never one to read between the lines. "And miss the view? I will do no such thing." He replied indignantly, still cradling his head in his palm.

Ichigo's eye twitched. By 'view', Ichigo was well aware that he had meant 'Rukia', for the man, with his wandering eyes, had not stopped asking about the mysterious sister since his knowledge of her. Ichigo, for the life of him, could not get Rukia off his mind. After a restless night and a drawn out political talk with his advisors come morning, he decided at long last to cave to his desire and accompany Yoruichi to pay his general a visit to observe the progress - and nothing more.

"To my knowledge, she was in attendance last night, though I cannot say I recall seeing her." He spoke gravely.

"And who is to fault?" Yoruichi rolled her eyes sarcastically, hinting at his self-induced intoxication.

"Grimmjow." Urahara replied smartly with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Ichigo tensed as his mind processed the implication. He felt his fists clench and his jaw tighten but said nothing.

The exotic beauty laughed knowingly, "Ah. Still unrelenting with his womanising ways I see."

Unbeknownst to Ichigo, Urahara's eyes were firmly trained on his now rigid back as he waited for any signs of reaction. He smirked when he noticed his godson grow tense and knew he had his undivided attention. "Some guests have alleged the two were seen conversing, in private." He wondered briefly whether he had layered on the suggestive tone a little too heavily, but decided that the flicker of worry that crossed Ichigo's face when he glanced back was worth it.

"Speak of the devil." She then added with mirth upon seeing the sight before her, "And what have we here?"

With one arm draped over his broad shoulders and his own arm wrapped around the small waist of the petite girl, the three watched as Grimmjow steadied a limping Rukia towards them. Urahara could not have been more pleased as he observed Ichigo through his peripheral vision, Yoruichi was simply amused, but Ichigo... Ichigo was seeing red.

"Ah Grimmjow, are we interrupting?" Urahara smiled impishly.

"You humour me." The general replied dryly, and then directed his gaze to Ichigo and gave a curt nod in respect. "What brings the Lord here?"

Urahara made a point to direct a finger at his godson before himself, "You mean Ichigo or me?"

"Ichigo." He deadpanned, for a moment falling back into the habit of calling the King by his childhood title.

"Oh." The blond mumbled a little crestfallen, and then spoke under his breath "I'm a Lord too you know." Dismissing the banter with a wave of his hand, and bouncing back to his enthusiastic self, he spoke contently, "We'll simply be watching, so treat us as nothing more than harmless spectat-,"

But Ichigo interrupted, and with arms folded against his chest, he reinstated, "I will be observing the progress made thus far Grimmjow. As time is of the essence, it will better aid myself and my advisors the constitution of our strategy."

"Ah yes, that is our first and foremost priority." Urahara chimed in.

Grimmjow was quick to detect the tension in the King's voice, but could do nothing but sigh, cursing his own luck for stumbling on the King in his current predicament. "I'm afraid to inform you that there has been no progress as yet. The girl is a slow learner."

Rukia immediately perked up to protest, "Wha-," only to be utterly ignored.

"I entrusted her training to you Grimmjow, so whom do you suspect I will hold accountable for the lack of result?" The King challenged, ignoring the uncomfortable look that Rukia was now wearing.

"I may be her overseer," Grimmjow reasoned tightly, "but her capacity is beyond even my abilities." And then he eyed Ichigo pointedly, reminding him of his standing.

But Ichigo paid no heed to his reason and continued unperturbed, "I understand the task invested in you is nothing short of a challenge, but let me remind you that _you_ granted approval of Rukia, aware of her capabilities."

"I am aware of that," The general retorted heatedly, agitation growing. He had known Ichigo long enough to know the real cause behind his provocation, "And I continue to grant Rukia my approval, all that has altered is the time expectancy."

Rukia could do nothing but watch on in awkward silence. She was uncomfortable enough being caught in such a vulnerable state by not one, but three more pairs of eyes, that she didn't need to encounter Ichigo today on top of that. Not after her slip of the tongue last night. She had fumbled for words afterwards which only fuelled on the humiliation, and worst of all, she had no idea what Ichigo was thinking. All she was able to gather was how taken aback he was before a sudden fit of coughs from Hisana tore her away from his company. He hadn't spoken a word. And they had left on that note. A very awkward, embarrassing note.

Meanwhile, all that Ichigo was able to register from Grimmjow's words was how the general had addressed the raven-haired girl. Just _'Rukia.' _

Before the two could turn a pointless quarrel into something more physical like they were so prone to doing since children, Yoruichi stepped in. "We have three men here and yet not one has offered to aid the visibly injured girl."

Urahara couldn't be happier to jump at the opportunity as he took hold of her small hand once Grimmjow released her from his hold. "Ah. Begging your pardon. I am Urahara, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance." And then he kissed it.

"Get off her you pervert!" Ichigo let slip in reflex, abruptly uncrossing his arms.

"You wound me!" Urahara gasped, looking genuinely upset and indignantly protested, "I was simply offering the lady my introduction. I would never deface myself or my beautiful wife in the way that you are intimating."

"Then let go of her hand." His wife suggested dangerously, almost about to pull at his ear.

Urahara hesitantly let the hand slip and dropped his head like a scolded child. Yoruichi was always on Ichigo's side, he moped. Always.

"I am Tanaka Rukia," Said girl finally spoke, attempting to be as graceful as balancing most of her weight on one leg would permit, "it is an honour to make your acquaintance." She curtseyed lightly.

"The pleasure is all mine." Urahara quickly snuck in.

"Someone eliminate this man so that we may commence." His own wife rolled her eyes, and then directed a look of caution at the man, "Not a word Urahara." His response was a quick pressing of the lips.

"Forgive my insolence, but with my ankle, I am not certain I can endure more training for the day." Rukia spoke apologetically, avoiding Ichigo's stare, still very embarrassed by their most recent encounter.

But Yoruichi merely shook her head and dismissed, "This training will not require much of your physical strength," and added as an afterthought, "for the most part."

"And what training would that be?" Ichigo suddenly didn't quite like where this was going.

She smirked "Why, the art of seduction of course."

* * *

><p>Senna had never in her entire life felt as humiliated as she did now. Her heart shattered all over again as she recalled the memory of last night. She would never forget the guilt that overrode her beloved's expression as he, for the final time, refused her again. His guilt spoke a million words that he could not, and she understood them all very clearly.<p>

She looked out in the vast expanse of greenery as she sat pensively in the courtyard, slowly coming to terms with the myriad of emotions. He had told her to not let her thoughts stray her, that she was not inadequate in the slightest, and that he found her beautiful. She knew herself that she was a Queen in every way, it was all she had trained for, lived for, and yet all the years of training could not win her the favour of one man. Her eyes hardened.

Another wave of pain rushed over her as she recalled the way Ichigo had kissed her goodnight as he would his sisters, a gentle peck on the forehead. After she had offered her body to him, all he could reciprocate was a regretful kiss that promised heartache. Gods she loved him, she loved him so much she knew that to some extent, as long as she had him physically with her, it would suffice. It did little to lessen the pain, but it did dull the loneliness slightly. Still she felt like she was suffocating with the endless doubts and suspicion plaguing her every thought.

Rukia.

Living in court had taught Senna many things, one of which was to never trust another soul. When Ichigo had said to her that he had eyes everywhere in his court, a little voice in her head reminded her that she too had another set of eyes. The same pair that witnessed Ichigo and her sister hidden from the awareness of many at the banquet. She closed her eyes and attempted to temper the feelings of betrayal and anger at Rukia, because only until she was certain beyond reasonable doubt, would she condemn her sister. For now, she would permit her the benefit of the doubt. That, however, still did very little for the anxiety she was experiencing.

Suddenly, her 'eyes' spoke, "My lady, the Queen Dowager is making her way to the courtyard."

Senna stood as she watched the elegant beauty gracefully make her way towards her, "Thank-you Inoue."

"Your Grace." Senna curtseyed upon the arrival of Kurosaki Masaki.

"My apologies Senna, for I cannot stay and talk for too long. It has slipped my mind that it is Yuzu's trial recital today." Masaki though elegant and sophisticated spoke somewhat hurriedly as she could barely contain the pride she held for her youngest child.

Senna quickly shook her head, "Please, forgive me for requesting your-,"

But Masaki interrupted her as she sat down, "Do not be silly, Senna." And then smiled, "Now what is it that you wish to speak to me about? Tell me now so I that I may have time to ponder over it."

"It concerns the wedding." Senna spoke calmly, not betraying how nervous she was. To be so bold to bring the matter up was close to stepping out of line for her, but this was the only thing she could think of that was still within her control.

Masaki inquired curiously, albeit cautiously. Anything that concerned her children was her utmost priority, especially Ichigo who she had always harboured a softer spot for knowing the burden he had carried as a child with Hichigo, and now as a King. "What of it?"

"May I be so bold to request an amendment to the date?" Senna held her breath, all at once realising the weight of her question.

Masaki could read from Senna's infatuation with her son what her intentions were, but she couldn't help the sense of worry that suddenly consumed her. "You wish to wed sooner?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

"What do you mean 'no' Ichigo?" Yoruichi raised an eyebrow at her godson as she tapped her foot on the ground.

"It is exactly what it means Yoruichi." His tone was beginning to take on an argumentative edge, one that the three were well accustomed to, "I see no purpose 'seduction' will serve. She will be trained in stealth, agility, observation and self-defence. Nothing will require the act of seduction." He finished resolutely.

Grimmjow rubbed the back of his neck. It was not his objective to deliver his childhood friend the news today. "Actually, she will not be trained in self-defence."

Ichigo's voice suddenly dropped dangerously low, "Excuse me?"

"What Grimmjow means to say is that the act of 'seduction' falls under 'self-defence'." Yoruichi filtered in, she had known them both long enough to know they were very much on edge and were just waiting for an excuse to fight, "She will not be trained for combat since we need to keep her responses as natural as possible. What will preserve her well-being is how she can bewitch her way out of an undesirable situation."

"I do not know the first thing about seducing men." This was the first time Rukia was hearing this and she couldn't help the anxiety that washed over her.

Urahara snickered impishly behind a closed fist when his eyes flickered to his godson.

"It is for her safety." The general reassured, "She may never have to resort to it, but circumstances may arise that would prove 'seduction' a useful weapon." It did little to quell Ichigo's discomfort.

"I shall supply my being as her test subject." Urahara offered, to which he was completely ignored.

"Aizen's eyes are trained for spies, it is safer that she knows little about it, this will at least help her fall beneath his detection." It was taking all of Grimmjow's willpower to not lash out at the man standing imposingly before him. It was always moments like these that they would forget not only each other's but their own social standings.

"It will prove useful if in the probability of Aizen taking on a concubine-," He didn't get to finish because Yoruichi finally had him by the ear.

"Urahara." Grimmjow death glared.

If Ichigo had in any way been slightly inclined to heed the advice of his godmother and general, it was all but gone by the words of the blond man. "She will absolutely not be a concubine. I am not going to allow this." He spoke with finality.

"One more word Urahara and I will see to it that you will never father a child." His own wife hissed forebodingly.

Grimmjow was losing his patience, the situation was proving harder than he had expected, "Ichigo this is her only tool for self-defence."

"And I am telling you Grimm, if that is her only tool for life-preservation then it is senseless."

"We have no other option-," but Ichigo interjected.

"I've heard that one Grimm, it's what you keep telling me but I'm not so inclined to believe it." He was raising his voice now.

"Well believe it Ichigo because if I have learnt anything from the countless deaths of my men, it is that we do not underestimate Aizen." Grimmjow argued back heatedly. He sometimes wished he wasn't the general and Ichigo wasn't the King, that way, they could just deal with the issues in the way they knew best, with their fists.

Before the argument could escalate, a smaller voice intervened, "May I?" Rukia watched as everyone fell silent, both men now looking awfully agitated. "Do I not get a say in this?" She smiled in jest, attempting to break the tension, but her words held no effect on the stubborn men. She cleared her throat awkwardly, "Again, please forgive my insolence-,"

"You are forgiven my girl." Urahara replied seriously.

"Um, thank-you." She looked unsure whether to continue or not, but the silence pushed her on, "But may I be so bold to request a word with the King, in private?" She hoped to the Gods that no one saw the blush that dusted her cheeks.

"Oh." Urahara almost whimpered, looking disappointed. Ichigo on the other hand, who was still severely annoyed, couldn't help the skip in his heartbeat. "I suppose it is only fair for you to consider the matter first." He sighed, walking to Yoruichi's side.

"That would be wise." Yoruichi declared coolly, but then her eyes turned cat-like, "But you brats choose to waste my time again," her eyes flickering from Ichigo to Grimmjow, "I will not be so forgiving."

Grimmjow could not care less with bearing the brunt of Ichigo's anger and was quick to bid a curt farewell before thinking how his knights would have to deal with his now foul mood.

"Rukia, if all goes well, I shall see you tomorrow." Yoruichi smirked and patted the girl on the head before giving Ichigo a pointed look as she allowed the two some privacy.

"Farewell Lady Rukia!" Urahara bid his final words, walking hastily to keep up with his wife.

Rukia curtseyed.

And then it was silent.

Rukia stood quietly and pondered with bated breath her next course of action. Her amethyst eyes settled on Ichigo's feet so that he couldn't read the humiliation she was still feeling. She didn't have to deliberate for too long, however, as she heard Ichigo sigh and began making his way up to her. She raised her head to look at him but his sight was directed at her ankle. Her breath hitched when he came to stand directly next to her and wordlessly, he reached for her wrist, placed it over his shoulder, wrapped his arm around her small waist and allowed her to rest her weight on him.

Ichigo swallowed and kept his sight straight ahead. "Come on." He ushered gently, ignoring the heat that spread with their close proximity.

All at once he was able to absorb all that was Rukia. The softness of her hand, the thinness of her waist, the lightness of her body and the smoothness of her hair. He swallowed again.

Rukia desperately willed the redness of her face to calm down before they reached the garden chairs and tried to relax the thundering of her heartbeat. She couldn't understand why when Grimmjow had held her in the exact same fashion, she had felt nothing, and yet her body was reacting in all sorts of ways now that Ichigo had replaced the general. She repeated to herself it was because of their awkward encounter from last night, and nothing more. She hoped that if she said it enough times, she would come to truly believe it herself.

He sat her down on a long chair beneath the shade of a large oak tree and moved to sit next to her once she had left his side.

"Thank-you." It was soft, but his ears picked up on it easily in the tranquillity of the gardens.

"Is it very sore?" He asked, still only looking straight ahead as he wondered whether the content of their conversation was still playing in her head as much as it was in his.

She darted her eyes at his side profile and smiled, shrugging offhandedly, "Nothing unmanageable." She only hoped he wouldn't notice the bruising that was gradually developing.

"Rukia, there is nothing to speak about." He said evenly, albeit somewhat abruptly. "The situation they are now asking of you is much too dangerous. In the end, you are just an ordinary girl. We are expecting too much." His eyes suddenly turned pained, and decided to leave out the fact that he was worried about her safety, "When have we allowed it to become so unrealistic?" There was an air of resignation in his words that Rukia found diverged too far from the usual King, and she didn't like it at all.

But she couldn't deny how clear-headed he remained, "I agree with you." She offered without a second thought and allowed his presence and the serenity of the gardens to ease her mind.

"No you-," He retorted, ready to argue back having not prepared for the unexpected response, "wait what?" he wavered; eyes steady on her as surprise took over.

"I said 'I agree with you', I think you raise very valid points." She nodded casually, thinking how a perfect day would entail her falling asleep beneath this tree on a spring's day.

He looked at her suspiciously, "Begging your pardon, but what?"

She frowned at him, still not really daring to look at him for more than a brief few seconds, "Is it so hard to believe that I am agreeing with you?"

"It is not hard for me to believe that you are agreeing with me as I am always correct and more knowledgeable than you," he stated as a matter-of-factly which ignited a huff from his companion, and he did his best to suppress a chuckle and kept his tone all-knowing, "what is hard to believe is that for once I don't have to fight you to the death before we reach an agreement."

He could almost detect a pout on her, "Well excuse me for having an opinion." She replied moodily.

Ichigo shook his head, "Having an opinion is nothing to be ashamed of." And when he noticed that she was trying to conceal her satisfaction from his compliment, his amusement only grew, "It is having the wrong opinion that poses a problem. And you belong to the latter." He watched with humour as her face betrayed all her emotions. She was so easy to read.

She didn't seem to have noticed his observation as she continued in her natural manner, which was almost no manner at all. "Does it please you so to attack an innocent, injured _ordinary_ girl?"

"No." He replied easily, but offered readily, "It pleases me to attack _you_."

"Our Kingdom is in good hands." She nodded in sarcasm, and this time, Ichigo really did laugh.

Her pride swelled as she watched the effect her words had on the King and couldn't help but smile openly. She had not seen him like this since her first ever encounter with him where she had mistaken him to be a garden boy. Why, she thought somewhat sourly, had that felt like a lifetime ago?

They were content to simply embrace the peace that the spring day had to offer as a comfortable silence settled over them. Rukia took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, easing her shoulders back and forgetting whatever embarrassment she had felt from their previous conversation. It was in this moment that it finally hit her that Ichigo was, and still is, her first and only friend in Court. And though she knew it meant she was playing with fire, she couldn't be certain she would give it up for anything.

Finally he broke the silence, and said knowingly, "Even though you see my points, you will proceed with the training won't you?" It wasn't a question as much as it was a statement.

"Mm hmm." She smiled and hummed at him, her eyes still closed.

"And there is little that I can do to sway you otherwise?" Another statement.

"Mm mm." She shook her head just as contently.

"I see. Well then I genuinely hope to see you fail." Her eyes opened at this and realised his tone was too serious for it to be in jest. She looked at him, and was taken aback by the determination and resolution in his entire demeanour, "I know there is another way. I simply refuse to believe that Aizen can corner me." It was under his breath, but she knew he had meant for her to hear it. Whether it was to comfort her or encourage her, she couldn't be sure; nevertheless, she couldn't contain the smile.

She hadn't even realised that she had been staring at him until he moved from his seat and knelt before her, gently taking her injured ankle in his hands. Her eyes enlarged at this as she quickly made a move to stand, only to be pulled down by Ichigo. Her eyes were darting around the garden and she failed to realise the sudden pounding in her heartbeat.

"What are you doing my Lord?" She attempted to pull her foot from him, but he kept it steady on his knee and began to untie her laces, his expression unruffled.

"I will help alleviate the pressure around your ankle, otherwise it may take days before it heals. You want to carry on training don't you?" His eyes were focused on the bruising as he slowly massaged it, and Rukia did all she could to ignore the physical sensations he was eliciting in her.

Her shock was still very apparent as she tried to reason with him in a hushed voice, "But you are a King, you should not do this!"

And then he offered her a look that would play on her mind for nights to come, "Around you, let me just be 'Ichigo'."

**~8~**


	8. A Favourite Tune

**Chapter 7**

**A Favourite Tune**

**~8~**

"This would be easier if your bosom was larger." Yoruichi sighed as she leaned on the grand piano with her hands resting on her waist.

Rukia mumbled incoherently under her breath and sulked. For the past two weeks since she had begun her training with Yoruichi, the teacher-turned-mentor had made it her duty to point out the obvious lack of womanly curves on Rukia, unlike the exotic purple-haired beauty who was now standing a few feet away from her and rubbing at her temples.

"I am still growing." Rukia retorted pathetically and under her breath as she sat by the library side of the majestic room.

When Yoruichi had first brought her to the Library room, Rukia was certain she had found heaven behind these gates. A large room beautified by the crystal chandelier on the ceiling and the glass window that overlooked the south garden, was only made more picturesque by the limitless books that enveloped the walls. And in this regal room stood, on the far end of the room, the one instrument she had always wished she had the talent for, the piano. She was always reminded that her mother's favourite instrument was also the piano, and she concluded that it probably explained why Senna was so gifted at it.

Yoruichi cocked an eyebrow and tilted her chin downwards, "I had _these_ when I was fourteen." She pointed out, as though Rukia didn't already know that their looks were worlds apart.

Her mood soured even more as her self-image took another beating. She had warned them that the concept of seducing men was a foreign one, so it should have made sense to Yoruichi when Rukia seemed more terrible at this than she was in stealth practice. It didn't help that Yoruichi exuded sensuality so naturally that just the act of her walking made her seem enticing. It was so effortless for the godmother that she failed to understand the challenge it was posing for Rukia. Whilst Yoruichi demonstrated risqué with grace, Rukia only managed to look awkward with embarrassment.

"We are not all so blessed." Rukia huffed.

Yoruichi snickered under her breath. Upon meeting Rukia, the first thing she noticed was how different she was to Senna. Unlike Senna, Rukia lacked the regal grace, the perfect mannerisms, the appropriate answers and the lady-like air. Instead, her protégé turned out to be slightly awkward at times, too witty, a little but arrogant and generally quite clueless – and for that, she found herself growing increasingly fond of the girl. She could not explain it through words, but there was an element of charisma and lovability in Rukia that Senna simply could not imitate. She was beginning to understand the looks her godson was always harbouring around Rukia. She snickered again.

"No we are not." And Yoruichi was not referring to her looks. One day, she thought to herself, Rukia would come to understand the significance in these words. At least she hoped so.

"Thank-you for your reassurance." Her words were laced with sarcasm as she reached for a book from the shelves and ran her fingers delicately over the title 'Cinderella'.

"You give me nothing to work with. How much do you eat? That is if you even eat. You are so scrawny, where is the meat on you girl? It is no wonder your eyes look so large, anything would look large on that tiny body you possess." And then she paused momentarily, ignoring Rukia who had her mouth agape in shock, and added, "Though I do suppose you have interesting eyes. But I only say this out of the kindness of my heart, so do not let it get to your head."

"If that is what you consider to be praise then please spare me any further 'kindness of your heart'."

"Rest at ease, my words do not come cheap." Yoruichi dismissed easily.

"Really, I took no notice." As much as Yoruichi's words were hard on her, she couldn't help the respect and admiration she held for the woman. In some sense, she was quite like how Rukia would hope to grow up to become. Confident in her own right, untroubled by the perception by others and warm in her unique way. Rukia couldn't even fault her on her brutal honesty – the woman was just that alluring. She understood now, why her husband was so ultimately enamoured by only her.

Yoruichi sighed, "Another day wasted. At least Grimmjow has informed us that you are improving with his training." Rukia knew better than to warm to her words just yet, "Although what has taken you almost three weeks took me two days when I was sixteen." There was never any harshness behind her words; she would only speak plainly, factually.

"Perhaps you had a superior teacher." Rukia attempted, trying to salvage her shattered ego and hoping to sink into her leather seat.

"I taught myself." Yoruichi replied indifferently, still leaning on the piano, "Who do you presume taught Ichigo and Grimmjow?" She smirked.

Rukia was momentarily rendered speechless at the revelation. Her mentor had invented what Grimmjow liked to occasionally call 'shunpo', and on top of that, had taught both the General and the King. It suddenly made so much sense why Yoruichi seemed fearless.

"How long did it take the King and the General to learn?" Rukia asked timidly, trying to mask the curiosity in her voice.

If Yoruichi picked up on it, she didn't show it as she shrugged her right shoulder offhandedly, "Grimmjow, it took slightly under five hours, Ichigo, it took a little over three hours."

Rukia had never felt so small in her life. Had she known she was in the midst of such brilliance, she would have made herself invisible so to not be compared to these abnormally gifted people – if they were people at all. Rukia had to wonder. "I see."

Yoruichi laughed as she seemed to recall a memory, "Grimmjow was so angry when he found out Ichigo had beat him. Said I favoured Ichigo over him and therefore offered more guidance, mind you Grimmjow was only fourteen then, and Ichigo was only twelve."

"Did you?" Rukia made sure to mask any accusation in her tone, but she couldn't help but wonder whether Yoruichi did in fact aid Ichigo more. She was, after all, his godmother.

Yoruichi smiled to herself, "I offered Grimmjow exactly what I offered Ichigo. Nothing will satisfy those boys until they know they have bested each other in every respect."

"They hate each other?" Rukia couldn't hide the wonder in her expression.

Yoruichi merely shook her head, "No. It is simply the way they coexist. But if I had to label them, I suppose they are like brothers."

"So the King is stronger than the General?" Rukia knew at that stage she was shamelessly prying. She couldn't help it though, the idea of two of the strongest men in the Kingdom brought so much intrigue to her mind that for a moment if felt like Yoruichi was narrating a story.

"In some respect, yes, but it is far more complicated than that. Grimmjow excels in areas that Ichigo is weaker in. Your General is a brilliant tactician, takes after his late father." Yoruichi looked out the window that stretched from the floor to the high ceilings and folded her arms, looking passively as the sun began to set.

"What does the King excel in then?"

Yoruichi turned knowing eyes on Rukia and smirked, "Well he _is_ the King is he not? Perhaps you should ask him for yourself given that he will arrive soon."

It was true. For the past fortnight, Ichigo had made it his habit of visiting Rukia wherever she may be. Though the times varied, it was almost an absolute certainty that he would make an appearance. The duration, too, varied. At times he would merely ask for the progress and evaluation before taking his leave, other times, he would stay longer and speak of everything and nothing in particular. However regardless of their topic of conversation and despite that this evaded both of their conscious awareness, they were steadfastly growing closer.

"Speaking of which," Yoruichi said to herself, "Ichigo." She called as she watched him set to knock on the one open door. He looked towards Yoruichi at the sound of this name, "Rukia has asked me what I think you excel in, I thought I would leave that for you to answer."

Rukia was horrified.

For the most part, Ichigo merely looked indifferent as he walked further into the room, but Rukia had come to better decipher his emotions. But today, she still couldn't tell, so she resorted to glaring at an amused Yoruichi whom had uncrossed her arms and was beginning to take her leave. She knew it was entirely Yoruichi's intent to make it sound as suggestive as possible.

With a casual wave and a "Take care of my protégé Ichigo." she was gone.

Amused brown orbs fell on embarrassed violet ones, "So you would like to know what I am superior in."

* * *

><p>She watched on in silence as Senna once again endured an array of emotions, none being a pleasant one. Whilst Senna was careful to masquerade a strong facade, her smaller actions spoke volume of the disappointment she felt upon the rejection of her request two weeks ago. Refusal had somehow become a growing occurrence to the future Queen and the complete lack of the King's presence served as a constant reminder of her woes. Inoue had done well to remain quiet and subservient, but even she couldn't deny the mixture of relief and surprise she felt when the Queen Dowager had outright turned down the appeal to amend the wedding date. In her usual fashion, Masaki had calmly reasoned that the mounting political unrest would need to be slightly stabilised before the commencement of the wedding, and though her words were calm, she left no room for dispute.<p>

Senna had played her part in the expected manner and obliged without revealing the inner turmoil that had begun to spread. A moment after she had bid the Queen Dowager a pleasant farewell, she turned dull eyes on Inoue and excused her for the remainder of the day. Inoue understood exactly everything Senna was not saying; Inoue understood that for the rest of the day, she was to be Senna's eyes.

When Inoue was told to keep vigilant of the King, she couldn't describe the elation that had long eluded her. The adoration and devotion she harboured for the young King was second to no one in her mind. Having grown up in Court as the daughter of a maid, Inoue had accepted her fate as a second rate member of court, destined to bear the cruelty of nobility and alienation from children her age. It was all she knew since birth and so she never questioned her standing. That however came to an end when she experienced her first act of kindness by the hands of an eight-year-old Ichigo. She would never forget the boy, with hair the colour of fire, who had asked her to play with him. Since their fateful meeting, she had never stopped dreaming of becoming Ichigo's wife.

Through the years, though only rarely would she see him, he had never failed to show her the same kindness he had shown her when they were children. In her mind, his smiles were always different when directed at her, as though they were reserved only for her, and that would become the image she would hold onto for the next several months until their next chance meeting. She was aware that they shared little words with each other, but she understood that their relationship transcended anything words could convey, so she remained content. However, her dreams of marrying Ichigo all but shattered when his engagement to Senna was announced. The feelings of pain and betrayal almost consumed her as did the irony when she was delegated to become the future Queen's personal maid.

Eventually she convinced herself beyond any doubt that Ichigo had been forced into the engagement, and that would serve as her only comfort as she cried herself to sleep every night as she awaited her King's rescue from her pain. Even now as she served directly under Senna, she would not deny the beauty that she was, but she was no Queen, at least not one fit for Ichigo. But now that she was granted a reason to stay by her King's side, the joy was almost overwhelming.

Senna really was so pretty in her eyes. Kind as well, having never behaved anything but compassionately to her throughout the entirety of the seven months.

It was such a shame, in Inoue's mind.

* * *

><p>"I can either give you a detailed answer or a simplified one. Whichever you choose." He sat down on the piano stool and smirked at his companion, and as he predicted, all his worries left him the moment he was graced with her presence.<p>

Rukia brooded for being misconceived as snooping and chose to instead look at the book in her lap as she doodled with the cover. "A basic answer will suffice, it was merely food for thought, I didn't really intend to ask y-,"

"Everything." He cut her off monotonously.

She looked at him blankly and although she had heard him clearly, she asked "I beg your pardon?"

"I am the King, I excel in everything I need to excel in." He stated factually, neither sarcastic nor boasting. A political response, answered but unanswered.

"Right." She quipped back, unsatisfied that her curiosity had not been quenched as much as she internally denied not caring, "perhaps you would humour me with your detailed response then?"

"Only if you provide me a more detailed explanation as to how the subject of myself came to light." He matched her challenge and eyed her evenly, vaguely aware that the setting sun was casting an ethereal orange glow into the room.

"Not only you my Lord, the General too." If there was one thing she had learnt about the King, it was that he was faster to lose his temper around the cerulean-haired man. Whether it was the mention of said man or the sight of said man, either way the King was always fetching for a fight. Rukia had yet to determine a causal relationship, but she was, for the time being, satisfied by her hawk-like observation.

Much to her satisfaction, his expression predictably darkened, "I see." But he was quick to smirk, "There is something I can do that the General can never in a million years." He folded his arms and watched Rukia from the opposite end of the room eye him with child-like curiosity.

"What is that?" Rukia hushed in awe, suddenly very excited over what spectacular talent Ichigo could possibly have.

His grin only widened as he gave a slight tilt of the head, indicating at the grand piano he was seated by.

"You lie." She, without thought, accused.

"What I can't play the piano? I can play the piano if I want!" This had not been the reaction he was anticipating and he couldn't help the disappointment that washed over him when she seemed unimpressed and unbelieving.

"But you are a man." She tried to rationalise, her expression and tone depicting her innocence. She had grown up her entire life surrounded by her two sisters playing all sorts of instruments that sub-consciously, she had learnt by association that instruments were for women or those in theatre. She meant no offense.

"Since when have instruments been limited to one sex only? And besides, it is my mother's favourite," He almost sulked, but reigned in the hint of whinge in his voice before Rukia could detect it. "I could not care less if perception deems it feminine."

"Oh. Sorry." She offered genuinely, and then quietly said, "It is my mother's favourite too, at least that is what my eldest sister tells me. I have no talent for it though." She smiled to herself, her attention once again drifting back to the book on her lap. If she had to choose one fairytale to like, she supposed it would have to be 'Cinderella' amongst the genre that she did not care much for. It loosely had a 'David and Goliath' moral to the story, and she found she liked seeing the dark horse win.

"Have you tried?" He asked.

She shook her head no.

He looked at her somewhat encouragingly, "Would you like to?"

She looked unsure of herself as she fidgeted slightly in her seat, "I don't know how though."

"I can teach you."

He gave her a moment to contemplate his offer as he turned on his stool to face the black and white keys of the piano. Slowly, his fingers grazed the smooth surface of the ivory and he began to play his favourite tune.

Rukia felt her breath leave her at the stroke of the first note, and slowly she listened in silent admiration at the beautiful melody that seemed to transcend all words. She was keenly aware of Ichigo and only Ichigo at that point. How his back hunched over the piano keys, the way his head tilted back as though the melody was enough to guide his fingers, the way his eyes were closed as though he was living out the meaning of the song. She hadn't even realised she was making her way towards him until she found herself sitting next to him on the stool.

He opened his eyes when he felt her presence and smiled at her, not once pausing in his song. She smiled in return before her eyes drifted to his large hands gliding effortlessly over the identical keys. She knew he had to be playing in A minor, it was always also Hisana's choice as her frail sister had told her that A minor was her tune – _though the melody may be bittersweet, no one can take away the beauty of it_ – that was what Hisana had always told her.

"Can you teach me?" She whispered before she even realised.

Ichigo suddenly stopped, and immediately she regretted asking before he had finished, saddened that the beautiful melody had to end. On the small stool, they sat side by side as their thighs grazed each other, but neither of them paid any attention, too enraptured by the perfection in that moment. Without a word, Ichigo reached for her delicate hands and gently placed them over the keys, spreading each finger onto one key. His fingers lingered over hers as he steadied her hands securely over the keys, neither noticing their intimate proximity.

She watched on with bated breath and did the best she could to contain her excitement. The keys were harder to see now as their only source of light came from the ethereal orange glow of the setting sun. She didn't mind though, the glow only made her feel warmth as she relaxed into the moment. The large room was quiet, the only sounds coming from the soft breathing of the King and his slight movements. They were so close to one another that together they did not question who was leaning on whom as they simply embraced the rarity of this instant in time.

Placing his hands identically atop of hers, he began playing a simple slow tune; each press of his fingers pushed against hers and ultimately reached the keys that reverberated a sweet tune. Her eyes widened in child-like happiness and excitement as her gaze was transfixed onto their hands dancing across the black and white notes.

She laughed in uninhibited happiness and looked to Ichigo, his face only inches away from her own as he smiled down at her, "I'm playing the piano! I'm really playing!"

She laughed again, her eyes darting between their hands and his face. The basic tune carried on repetitively, but Rukia did not care. For the first time, she was doing what she had always seen other girls do, and finally she felt a small sense of belonging.

Ichigo had not once let his eyes drift from her entire being. He felt his heart swell at her joy as he promised himself to never allow his mind to forget the sound of her laughter. In this moment, he realised he had never in his twenty-six years felt the happiness that was consuming him at that moment, and he wished desperately for it to never end.

"I can't believe this!" She giggled, her body bouncing next to him.

He chuckled under his breath, fearing that if he took his eyes away from her even for just a second, the moment would be lost.

"Ichigo, look!" She hadn't even realised that for the first time ever, she had addressed him by his given name. Not my Lord, not my King or my Grace. Just Ichigo.

And just like that, his fingers stopped moving. Everything paused as Rukia looked up at him in question. The pounding of his heart, the repetition in his mind of her voice calling his name, the deep pools of amethyst that now seemed to look at him knowingly yet equally lost in their myriad of emotions. He was falling now, and he allowed it. His eyes became hooded as he stared in her eyes, and then upon her lips. His mind could no longer register anything else that wasn't Rukia as said girl took in a slow and gentle intake of air – her lips slightly parted.

He could smell the sweetness of her scent as his mind dizzied at their proximity. Staring back into her violet pools, which now spoke to him of longing and innocence, he could barely deny himself any longer. Eyes drifting to her pink lips, he leaned in, succumbing to his most inner desires as they impulsively closed their eyes, parted lips only a breath away.

And because he had taken his eyes off of her, the moment was indeed lost. "Ichigo." It was Urahara.

The King jolted at the sound of his name and immediately his gaze fell on Rukia to see her slowly open her eyes to look back at him in dazed confusion.

The moment was lost.

**~8~**

**AN:** Thank-you so much for reading & reviews!


	9. An Act of Spite

**Chapter 8**

**An Act of Spite**

**~8~**

The night air was warm against his skin as the summer heat lingered long after the sun had set. The dark skies played the perfect backdrop to the fireworks that illuminated the darkness blanketed over the outdoor stage by the south garden. Rows and rows of chairs lined the freshly cut grass as royalty stood about discussing the finer things in life; French delicacy they consumed, languages their children spoke, who was having an affair with whom, and so on.

He stood impassively by Senna's side, unhearing and unseeing to the cause of her laughter as his mother smiled at her. He barely registered that he was holding a wine cup in his right hand as his mind plagued him of a face and voice that seemed impossible to forget. For an entire week he had cursed the betrayal of his actions, recalling repetitively how he allowed his desire, despite its forbidden nature, to completely take over all logic. He had lost complete and utter control of his actions, something of extreme rarity, and it scared him. But when he realised that through memory, he was attempting to relive the moment, it terrified him.

A week had passed since he last saw her, the vulnerability in her expression imprinted in his mind every time he closed his eyes and subconsciously hoped to see in his dreams, for in reality, he had done well to avoid her. Ichigo could still smell her skin and feel her warmth, like a summer night's breeze, as she had pressed comfortably to his side. He could still see the joy that danced in her eyes, those same eyes that simultaneously reflected innocence, but spoke of a hidden seduction that held Ichigo captive. He gripped his wine cup and realised again that his thoughts simply could not escape the girl. He had been able to ignore her person physically, but despite the attempt to mentally drown himself in his political duties, he could not evade her when he was left to his own thoughts in the darkness of the night, alone in his bedchambers.

He turned a deaf ear on the voice that spoke of a longing to see her.

He could no longer count the times he had chastised himself for his irrationality, nor could he count the times Urahara had warned him of the consequences his actions held. He could not remember the last time his godfather had looked so serious, exempting the passing of the late King, that it impelled him to follow his godfather wordlessly. When the blond man eventually did speak, it was a tone of resignation and understanding, as though it pained him to be the one to break through the illusion. He had merely reminded Ichigo of his obligation to a certain woman. However, instead of the disapproval that Ichigo had expected, his godfather had merely cautioned him to act now before it was too late. He was in such a state of disbelief that he did not get to question what Urahara had meant by that.

"Brother look! I think I see the actors!" Yuzu had hushed excitedly by his side as he smiled down at her and patted her head endearingly.

He was vaguely aware that Senna's father and sister, along with his godparents had joined him and the four women that stood by him – his mother, his sisters and Senna, but he paid them all little attention. It was better this way. He had nothing but bitter words to say to Senna's father anyway, so it was best to remain quiet for fear of disrupting the ambience of the night.

His mind, drifting back to Rukia, could not help but beg the question of how she had interpreted the moment. He found himself always on the verge of cringing every time the thought crossed his mind, as inevitably an onslaught of possibilities would come crashing with a vengeance. He was her brother in law, he had taken advantage of the moment, she harboured the same desires, she was too shocked to move, she was disgusted... she wanted this just as much as he did. He didn't know how he would react if he ever found out it was anything but the last possibility. He desperately hoped it was.

"I believe the play will commence soon." Senna looked at Ichigo as she spoke whilst he took a sip from his cup.

He smiled at her in return as guilt took to the forefront of his conscience. He despised the comparison people made between him and his own twin, so he knew exactly what it was to be on the receiving end. Yet, as he stood before Senna, to his loathing, he couldn't help but wished that she was a little shorter, her hair slightly untidy, her words less restrained and her eyes more violet. Rukia had abruptly come into his life for over six weeks and he wondered, where along the way, had he become the way he was now. What did Rukia have that his own fiancée lacked in? He could think of countless strengths Senna had that Rukia did not possess, and yet ironically, he was helplessly drawn to the latter.

"Ichigo." Urahara called across the circle, and Ichigo could tell from the stern tone that his godfather was warning him wordlessly. Outwardly the blond man appeared carefree, but Ichigo knew better, "I do believe your cup is empty."

It wasn't really, but Urahara managed to achieve what he had intended; remind Ichigo where he was and whose company he was gracing.

"Byakuya!" Yoruichi called upon seeing the serious man along with his own protégé make their way across the garden, occasionally being stopped by greetings from nobility. Yoruichi laughed as soon as they joined the circle after they had offered their respects to several of the most powerful people there, "Renji, you are looking rather tired. I assume you are learning much from the great Kuchiki."

Renji chuckled a little uncomfortably, "The privilege of learning from Lord Byakuya is well worth the sweat."

"What else has Byakuya taught you to say?" Urahara quickly quipped, garnering laughs from the circle.

Hanataro handed the two men their wine cups.

"Nothing that isn't the truth." Byakuya replied easily and so seriously some almost missed the jest in his words.

"Then it is safe to assume that Byakuya has taught you of his womanising ways?" Ichigo smirked, looking elsewhere as the doctor turned sharp eyes on him, to which Renji almost choked on his wine and the godparents cackled loudly.

"Is that so?" Senna asked in amazement, though not surprised from the good looks the man was blessed with.

"Not quite." Yoruichi shook her head and Byakuya had to rethink his reasoning behind making an appearance tonight, "Although he is infamous for breaking many hearts of many courtesans, female _and_ male alike."

Ichigo snickered as he watched Renji react to the new revelations. The man was so exaggerated that it compensated for the lack of response from the doctor, although he wondered whether his eyes had deceived him when he saw Byakuya glance anxiously at the eldest Tanaka sister, whom merely smiled politely and stood by her father.

"I assure you Lady Senna, they are merely rumours." But he wasn't really speaking to Senna.

"Rumours with elements of truth." Urahara added.

"Nay, rumours yet to be denied." Ichigo raised an eyebrow smugly.

Senna covered her mouth and laughed into her closed palm, but Hisana only smiled.

"It seems your reputation precedes you Byakuya." Masaki smiled, to which the doctor simply took a drink of his wine.

And then challenged offhandedly, "Not as much as the reputation that precedes the King himself."

To this, the entire circle turned amused eyes on Ichigo until Hisana suddenly wondered out loud, "Why has Rukia come tonight?"

All heads turned to the petite girl from afar as she eyed the place curiously, searching for familiar faces. Ichigo's chest swelled at the sight of her and the pounding of his heart made it slightly difficult to breath. Everyone kept quiet, and much to the surprise of several people in the circle, it was Senna who called out for her.

* * *

><p>One week had uneventfully passed without the slightest sighting of bright orange hair. Rukia had tried to not let her agitation get to her as she went on with her training as per usual. Perhaps it was the lack of distraction, or maybe it was because she was so embarrassed by their last encounter that she had forced herself to focus more, whatever the reason, progress had benefited much from it. For the first couple of days, if she wasn't in a daze, she was blushing crimson and pinching her cheeks to separate dream from reality – and it never failed to shock her every time her pinch hurt.<p>

Once the initial shock had worn off, and she had noticed his very obvious lack of appearance, she had convinced herself that it was agitation eating at her, and that she was in no way hurt by his absence. She had never noticed how lonely it was without him, and she couldn't help but continually allow her mind to drift back to their time together in the library. The moment was the most magical thing she had ever experienced in her young life. In an instant, she had played the piano with him, laughed with him and very almost gave him her first kiss.

Her eyes bolted open, having never realised she had actually closed them, as she refrained desperately from letting her thoughts stray her. In that moment by the piano, she had allowed her actions to take control, allowed her inner desires to take hold, and she was mortified at the outcome. As a child, she often heard people say that actions spoke louder than words, so what did her actions say about her? She loathed thinking about it. She didn't dare it.

She had wanted to see him so badly, to pretend that nothing had happened, go on like they usually would and feign ignorance to what was so beautiful in her mind. She figured that as long as he would spare her a few minutes of his day, she could ignore the stammering of her heart, the continuous traitorous thoughts of him, the warmth that enveloped her entire being at the mental image of him and pretend that she wasn't aware of her growing affection towards him. A part of her would hurt, but if it meant not losing him by her side, she could tolerate it, she could endure not being anything more than a listening ear to him. She would be satisfied with that.

But as the days went on, her hope had slowly disintegrated as her thoughts haunted her with the conviction that it was all a mistake. Her eyes stung at the idea that perhaps he had mistaken her for Senna having been so taken by the beauty of that moment. She would not blame him though, it was not he who was at fault, but instead herself for playing so close to fire. Rukia shook her head as she continued walking across the garden, no longer wanting to think about the matter, it simply brought her too much confusion and disappointment in herself.

She looked around her as she wholly took in her surroundings for the first time, having been too caught up in her own thoughts. She did not want to be here tonight and had declined the invitation initially, but when her own sister had requested that she come watch the outdoor play, she found she could not say no. So here she was, looking over at her sister who had just called out for her as instantly her eyes fell upon surprised brown orbs. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt a mixture of excitement, relief and sadness at seeing him. There was one thing she realised in that moment that she did not factor in regarding his absence, perhaps he merely did not feel a desire to see her.

Out of place and extremely nervous, she made her way to her sisters and held her breath as she hoped for the best.

"Rukia." Senna smiled, taking a subtle step closer to the King until her hand gently wrapped around his elbow. "You have arrived just in time."

Rukia stood by Yoruichi as she offered an uncomfortable smile in return, feigning ignorance to Senna's movements and Ichigo's gaze.

"Rukia I did not think you wished to attend the play tonight." Hisana's tone was laced with concern as she continually eyed Senna. Earlier in the day, Rukia had declined her invite and so for her to suddenly change her mind and be standing in the midst of them, Hisana couldn't help the uneasiness.

"Hisana," Their father at once spoke up, "she is the sister to the future Queen, her attendance is essential." His tone was kind, but it did little to quell Hisana's anxiety.

"Come my girl," Urahara motioned as he handed her a cup of wine, knowing at once what was going on, "we shall enjoy the festivity of the night." His mood soured instantly but his facade remained that of the carefree demeanour most knew him to possess. His gaze flickered to Ichigo and gathered immediately how tense he had become.

Rukia bowed a little apologetically and spoke sincerely, "Pardon my sudden arrival, I hope I have not disturbed the mood."

Yoruichi was the first to wave her off as she patted her head endearingly, "Do not be silly Rukia, your being here only means one more person to tease." She spoke in jest, which brought a small smile to Rukia's face.

"Yes." Senna continued, "Lord Byakuya was about to inform us of the Lord's reputation." She made a point to look at Ichigo, but the King kept his gaze elsewhere.

Byakuya had been quick to pick up on Hisana's distress and decided to conclude the topic, "I merely meant to say that the King has had his fair share of breaking hearts, but I speak only in jest."

Rukia internally jolted at his words, but her appearance did well to not betray her inner emotions.

"Ichigo is the King after all," Yoruichi countered, doing her best to remedy the situation by creating a light-hearted air about the subject, "it is not uncommon for courtesans to wish to demand his attention." She had lived in court too long to not know how this situation would turn out to become, and she could tell by Ichigo's sudden silence that he was growing weary.

"I did not think the King had time for courtship. If anything holds true, it is unrequited love that not even the King himself was aware of." Urahara offered, salvaging any misconceptions of his godson.

"Give my son more credit," Masaki laughed, slightly unaware of what was being played before her, "there is nothing not to admire about our King, of course the women of court would fawn over him."

Urahara nodded his head in agreement but continued to defend Ichigo, for said man was beginning to look increasingly troubled, "Of course. Ichigo is a fine man, but I am sure it was nothing more than infatuation." He dismissed, hoping that would be the end of it.

"Then I consider myself the luckiest woman on earth to be able to stand by my Lord's side." Senna looked pointedly at Rukia as her words cut through like a knife.

Rukia, at once, understood why Senna had personally come to request for her presence. She had thought it odd at first, but seeing her sister for the first time in three weeks since the banquet, Rukia had felt excited at the thought of Senna's growing acceptance of her. But now, as she stood there, her illusion of a sister cruelly crushed by the hands of spite, she could only force a smile as she came to finally understand that Senna would never see her as anything more than a pebble in her shoe. No matter how hard she would try, how forever accommodating she would be, how much she would beg for it, Senna would never care for her.

Her heart took another beating as reality finally dealt her a ruthless reminder; Ichigo, her only friend, would soon become her sister's husband. Senna was making sure she understood well.

"An honour and a privilege Senna." Her father added, "Shall we toast to this joyous occasion?"

No one objected but no one made a move to initiate the toast that most found out of place. The overall ambience had altered as the laughs and jokes were long forgotten.

"Rukia." Senna spoke in her usual perfect mannerisms, "As you were not present for the engagement banquet, perhaps tonight you would like to propose a toast to your sister and the King, your future brother-in-law?"

Rukia, whose gaze was cast downwards, felt a pain so sharp she felt her breathing falter. Her mind failed her with words as she was failing to come to terms with the cruel predicament she was in. She swallowed and willed herself to stay strong as she felt a loneliness so callous, she was afraid she would fall apart in public. She could only assume that this suffocating pain was the result of her shattered illusion. Ichigo, her brother-in-law. Never had those words echoed so loudly in her mind. Never had she realised how much she valued his person. Never had she realised how lonely she was.

Ichigo could not believe what he had just heard as his fist tightened around his wine cup and he willed himself to not tremble from anger. He looked hard at Rukia, silently begging her to look up at him. He wanted nothing more than to take her back to the library, close the world off from them, and go back to what they had one week ago. But as he stood, in the midst of everyone he held a responsibility to, all he could do was beg to the Gods to keep her innocent mind uncorrupted by the ways of the court. Never in his life had he felt so helpless.

"Senna-," Hisana would later cry for her sister, but now, her disappointment pushed her to speak up, but Senna was not going to allow it.

"Anything that comes to mind Rukia." Senna encouraged.

Ichigo finally spoke, subtly pulling his elbow away from her grasp. He would remain impartial for now, his words would not betray any emotion, no one would know of the inner turmoil he was going through for Rukia and he would speak like a King. "Senna that will not be necessary. Tonight has not been held to celebrate the engagement. Enough of this." Everyone fell silent.

"Rukia," Hisana quietly spoke, reaching out for her youngest sister like a mother, "the King has spoken, you don't-,"

Rukia raised her head, and like the fighter that she was, she smiled bravely, "It is fine sister."

She felt no anger, no resentment or betrayal. She saw the sympathetic looks on Urahara and Yoruichi's faces but none of it registered in her mind. She was finally waking from her dream, a deception of the mind so perfect, so dangerous, that she had unknowingly fallen victim to it. Taking in a shaky breath she came to peace, once again, with what purpose she served in these castle gates. She wondered vaguely if her life was a written story, how much would the audience despise her? Senna would play the heroin, taking back what was rightfully hers, and she, she would be the evil stepsister to Cinderella, wouldn't she?

Raising her cup, so graceful it rivalled any Queen, Rukia spoke elegantly, even though bit by bit her heart was breaking, even though, slowly but surely, she was falling apart, even though her tears were close to falling.

She looked only at Ichigo, who in return, gazed at her in sorrow and pain. She smiled at him, attempting her best smug look, but her unshed tears made her waver and in the end, all she could offer was a defeated smile, one so foreign to Ichigo he felt himself falling at the seams. She hoped, through her words, he would understand her gratitude towards him, for being her first friend, her only friend.

She spoke.

"May you have enough happiness to keep you kind;"

"Enough sorrow to keep you human;"

"Enough hope to keep you content;"

"Enough trials to keep you strong;"

"Enough success to keep you eager;"

"Enough failure to keep you humble;"

"Enough friends to give you comfort;"

"Enough faith and courage in yourself and your country to banish depression;"

"And enough determination to make each day a better day than yesterday."

"To my King, and his Queen to be."

* * *

><p>When the play started and everyone took to their seats, in the darkness Rukia gripped at her own hands, and as she kept her eyes forward, her tears finally fell.<p>

He was never hers to begin with.

**~8~**

**AN**: Sadly this will be the last chapter to be updated on a weekly basis. I really want to thank everyone for their support and kind words thus far. I'm a recent Business Graduate majoring in Marketing, and whilst I do enjoy Marketing, my passion is in writing. After the support you all have shown me, I took the momentum to apply for an internship for one of my favourite magazines and have been lucky enough to secure an interview.

I am not assuming that I will be successful, but I am glad to have taken the risk. Honestly, your kind words have meant a lot to me, and without it I honestly don't think I would have taken the risk.

BUT more importantly, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	10. A Warning to Heed

**Author's Note: **Reviewers. Incredible. As always.

Quick note to all those who read 'God Complex', **pamianime** has been kind enough to share her amazing fanart with us in her depiction of the 'bathroom' scene! So if you haven't already seen it, definitely check it out! (Link can be found on both our profile pages)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

**A Warning to Heed**

**~8~**

She was beginning to feel the first wave of nausea as the heat purged her of any hydration and the intakes of air was fast becoming insufficient in keeping away the dizziness. Her stomach clenched painfully, her skin felt clammy and she was beginning to see black nothings clouding her vision. Rukia breathed heavily as the sun glared unrelentingly on her hunched over back, doing her best to will away the black spots dancing in her vision despite the growing inability to stand. A trembling intake of air later, she felt the ground beneath her tip as the trees around her spun. Closing her eyes in submission, her mind surrendered to defeat as her body gave way to gravity.

Had Grimmjow not caught her in time, she would have landed head first onto the soil as her entire body fell limp. With one sturdy arm keeping her upright by the waist and the other hand wrapped around her small shoulder, Grimmjow waited until she gathered her bearings. With a gentle chuckle, Rukia peered up at him through thick lashes and hooded eyes before looking away timidly.

"It seems the heat has gotten the best of me." Her voice came out hushed and weak, "I'm sorry I have disappointed you." Her eyes were forced to close again as the dark spots continued to dance across her vision and the nauseating feeling of imbalance continued to assault her senses.

She found her small hands had come to rest against his broad chest when she realised her right hand had fisted his tunic. "Sorry." She mumbled again, this time tipping her head until her forehead rested against him, vaguely wondering why the effects of exhaustion were more amplified than usual.

She felt the reverberations of his chuckle as his hand patted her back before it retreated from around her waist. "At ease Tanaka." With both hands holding her firmly by the shoulders but making no move to push her off his chest, he asked, "Can you stand on your own?"

Though exhausted and weak, she lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him with a bashful smile, hands still resting against him and bodies still only an inch away, "Perhaps a moment?"

He offered her a nod before she closed her eyes and took in a slow breathe of air. As he held her sturdy by the shoulders he spoke, "Your progress has improved. Your focus is admirable, you have not disappointed me." He reassured her.

She opened her eyes slowly, but still only managed to look at him through half-lidded eyes and smiled, "My improvement is all to your credit. Had it not been you General, I doubt our training would come to fruition at this speed." To that, she gently rested her right hand atop his own on her shoulder.

"I see." He said to himself, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

In a fluid motion, Rukia swept her hair past her right shoulder exposing the nape of her neck to Grimmjow as she allowed the breeze to cool her skin down. "If I come out of this unscathed, I will have only you to thank."

He smirked at her, their bodies still within very close proximity, "And how do you intend to show your gratitude my Lady?"

Rukia laughed on cue as she turned her head to the side avoiding his intense stare and exposing more of her neck to him, "I'm not certain I understand what you are implying my Lord."

Grimmjow took a step towards her, effectively closing the gap between their bodies and he couldn't help his smirk at the sound of her small gasp. "I have some thoughts." He suggested as his hands dropped from her shoulders to her arms. Had her long sleeves not prevented direct skin contact, he would've felt the sudden goose bumps across the span of her milky skin, though the shiver that shook her body did not go by undetected.

In an instant, her cheeks reddened as she attempted to take a step back, "P-Pardon?" her entire demeanour shifting all at once as a slow panic started to settle in.

"Perhaps we could get better acquainted with one another." He was subtle, but the sexual innuendo was clear.

Unable to grasp her next step meant she had lost control of the situation and gradually, her composure only further disintegrated. "W-what are you saying?" Her tone and stance instantly turned guarded not unlike an animal cornered, "I can stand on my own now, thank-you." She replied curtly, her rigid body manoeuvring its way out of his grasp.

He folded his arms across his chest and reigned in the laugh that was threatening to escape him as he watched with delight at the petite girl regressing back to her usual awkward self. "How misleading m'lady, and here I thought you were trying to seduce me." He kept his voice neutral, but the telling smirk on his handsome features spoke knowingly.

"I-,"

"What with all the flattery, touching, feigned delight and your coy act, how very unlike the uncouth firecracker I am accustomed to."

Her shoulders sagged as she sighed in resignation, her air of dignified temptress dissipating into thin air, "When did you realise?"

"One does not 'realise' when one was never fooled." And then he frowned slightly, "Come, we need to get you under some shade." Whilst the feigned seduction was detected before the girl herself was consciously aware of her own ministrations, he saw that the fatigue was genuine, though the severity of it left him both perplexed and concerned.

"I am no good at it." She swayed on her feet and her speech slurred just a little before she changed the topic of conversation back to her current state of health, "This corset is too tight, I cannot breath." With fumbled hands, she reached helplessly to her back and attempted to undo the strings that kept her waist impossibly small, so small that Grimmjow often thought she would break during a more strenuous training day.

Her eyes were hooded again only this time, it lacked the seduction as the half-closed lids suggested to the increasingly concerned General that Rukia was slowly drifting in and out of consciousness. Fearing that a panic would only cause an unneeded surge of blood rush to her head, he kept up the banter but not before he hoisted her up as one would to a bride and stealthily made his way to any shade he saw.

"Disastrous." He commented offhandedly, all the while knowing that if the little bundle in his arms wasn't so fatigued, his ears would've been dealt a bashing for the way he was handling her, "Your concept of theory cannot be faulted, but your execution is transparent."

Upon reaching shade, he placed her down against the trunk of the tree and quickly made her look at him.

She paid little attention to the large hand that held her by the face, "You sound just like Yoruichi."

Her intakes of air were gradually getting deeper and whilst she was beginning to sweat profusely, her tone remained calm, and Grimmjow could only deduce from that, that Rukia hadn't yet realised something was wrong. As he had expected, her pupils had dilated unnaturally, her breathing was progressively more laboured and her skin tone was taking on a pale hue instead of the flushed red that would normally signify heat exhaustion.

These symptoms were longer those of fatigue. Something more sinister was at play.

* * *

><p>The tension was palpable as Senna stood tall in her majestic deep red gown looking poised and regal. In that moment, Hisana could not help but resign herself to the thought that Senna had suddenly grown years beyond her age. Senna made no move to relent as her eyes betrayed the anger and misconceived betrayal she harboured in a mind that was fast mounting with paranoia.<p>

"What heinous act did I commit to warrant this reception from you Hisana? You have bestowed upon me nothing but curt words. I have been patient, but you are trying me."

Senna stood just inside the room with her maid hidden in her shadows as she made it clear that this confrontation would not be an informal one. She watched with burning eyes as Hisana quietly bookmarked her page before resting the book across her lap from where she sat by the window.

"Senna," Hisana breathed dejectedly, "I do not wish to dwell on the matter. You know well what plagues my mind." It pained her to look at her younger sister for she knew of the glare that Senna was directing at her, an expression she thought made her sister look all the more foreign to her.

"I know well whom you side with." She bit back snidely, her tone so cruel Hisana had to refrain from showing the hurt outwardly as she wondered why Senna so wholly believed that she was the one entitled to this feeling of betrayal.

"I favour reason, something you need to be reminded of Senna. Your actions only made you look trifling." She made sure her tone bore nothing but rationality as her priority shifted from confronting Senna to tempering the anger that she seldom ever saw in her sister. Hisana couldn't deny how much it hurt to be on the receiving end of a wrath she didn't know Senna was capable of, and it frightened her how much the wheels of change were coming into effect.

"And I suppose you think it brought me great pleasure to in one instance lose the favour of many. But what choice did I have?" Senna hissed, her words laced with truth and pain.

Senna knew it was unfair to direct all her anger and unjust onto her frail sister, but the realisation that Hisana became just one more person who did not understand her made it too hard to bear. When Hisana outright attempted to override her words for the sake of Rukia that night of the play, Senna had done her best to maintain a look of indifference as her sister's actions spoke of the obvious favourability she, and a growing amount of people of court, harboured for the likable Rukia. It pained her to the deepest level at the thought that she had done nothing wrong, and it seemed that even rationality gave way to Rukia's growing popularity.

The initial anger Hisana had felt towards Senna was rapidly dissipating as she watched the bottled emotions the Queen-to-be was trying to oppress. It made her truly contemplate that perhaps she was not seeing this from Senna's perspective, still some words needed to be spoken, "A private discussion would have sufficed, but what you chose to do...that was cruel."

"Cruel?" She hissed. "And pray tell, what was _cruel_ about my actions? I requested a toast from a sister, is that so wrong of me?"

Hisana's resolve was slowly breaking as guilt took a stronger hold over her emotions at the legitimacy of Senna's words. Had Senna requested a toast from Hisana, all would have been fine, but clouded by a preconceived notion of Senna's strained relationship with Rukia, Hisana had been too quick to jump to the conclusion that Senna had acted wholly out of spite.

Usually the rational one of the three, Hisana was quickly running out of words, "You are aware that Rukia lacks the common knowledge of Court etiquette-,"

"In what setting did you think I was asking her in?" Senna interrupted swiftly, sarcasm and venom quickly becoming dominant in her tone, unbelieving to the fact that Hisana was still trying to defend Rukia. "I did not mean to ridicule her if that is what you think of me. I did not ask for her to propose a formal toast in a crowd of hundreds. She does not require knowledge of Court etiquettes to show her happiness for her sister." Senna nearly spat out the last part, but the calm expression on Hisana's gentle features made her falter.

"Nevertheless, you had a hidden motive." Hisana's tone had lost all edge, now she merely wanted to understand how the situation had spiralled to this result.

"That does not make me the one in the wrong. Yes, I had a motive, but I did what I had to do, and now she understands." Senna's tone of aggression too was gradually subsiding, though her outward defensive appearance did not sway.

"By doing so you were willing to jeopardise your relationship with Rukia?" She asked sadly, only just noticing the overwhelming sadness that Senna was doing her best to mask.

"You are wrong. If I had confronted her and spoke my words, then any remaining bond we had left would be lost. Now that she understands her standing, I need not draw out the picture for her." Senna gazed past Hisana as she looked beyond the glass window and onto the gardens. Now that Rukia understood, however cruel they thought her actions may be, she and Rukia could go on pretending that it all never happened. Could no one see that it was the only way to preserve their relationship? Could no one see that had truer words been spoken, that there would be no turning back?

Hisana was hesitant to ask, she wasn't certain she wanted to know. "What are you saying Senna?"

The Queen-to-be directed her gaze back to her sister, only now, her eyes were clouded by oppressed heartbreak. "You are a woman too. You should know what could drive women to such dire actions."

Hisana had dreaded the implication but she had expected it for she was quick to warn, "Be careful of what you are insinuating sister."

At that Senna chuckled humourlessly, "Perhaps you should ask her yourself and see with your own eyes that she may not be as innocent as she would have you believe."

The Queen-to-be did not ponder whether her elder sister had anything left to say, but judging by how Hisana made no move to stop her from turning around and moving towards the door, she gathered that the eldest was taking in all the sudden revelations.

Halting in her step and tilting her face so that only her side profile was seen, Senna spoke in indifference.

"I know deep down you harbour the belief that it is I who wishes for her to be sent away. Believe what you will Hisana, I know now that my words are lost on you." She did not mean for her words to be callous, but even she couldn't deny how harsh it sounded when spoken. "You say you favour reason, I want you to remember those words when you ask Rukia of my message to her, and then I shall tell you whether you favour reason or your beloved Rukia."

* * *

><p>Darkness hung heavily over the cold and desolate stone walls as each water droplet echoed eerily across the damp space. The stench that coated the thick air payed remembrance to the horrors the walls housed as the odour of decay served as a chilling memory to those who had wished they never survived. The black abyss played trickeries to the mind, descending many into madness as the darkness rid them their will to live. But when light came, from where - their fragmented mind would no longer have the ability to comprehend; they would beg for the return of darkness, and then subsequently, for the darkness to finally break them.<p>

For when the light came, their horrors were brought to life and the visions would shatter any remaining thread of sanity, and they would know even in their psychosis that the torture would only worsen the longer they survived. Soon, they knew that the dried blood smeared across the walls would be painted afresh with their own, that the broken nails caught in the cement would be their final act of desperation as they would claw blindly against the stone walls, just screaming and screaming.

Some were lucky, some had the willpower and strength to bite off their own tongue, and the nightmare would end. But their corpse would remain untouched and unmoved, serving as a sign of warning and humiliation and most of all, as trophy to the Lord of the West.

And then, light flittered through the cramped cells and the subsequent scream of pain and horror followed naturally. The naked men and women never looked up, so terrified they only continued to rock themselves in the coldness as their mind refused to see the terror that surrounded them, the blood, the nails, flesh, bones... mangled corpses of comrades they once knew.

The echo of his footsteps as he walked along the bloodied footpath spiked a fear so strong that the confined space reeked of an added stench of vomit.

As he entered one of the cells, two men lifting the half-dead spy by his dislocated arms, he continued on unperturbed and uncaring. "The four Kingdoms swore oath to a peace treaty, and yet we have amongst us a spy."

Aizen circled the man like a predator before he spoke again, "Who sent you?" his tone darkening.

The man, whether due to fear or unimaginable pain, did not speak.

Aizen seemed unfazed as he continued, "How many more are left of you?" Having already murdered two spies, he could only deduce the possibility of more.

The man's severely burned chest heaved heavily before he threw up, and as he did, he aimed it at the King's feet.

Aizen breathed a calm breath before he held a death grip around the dying man's neck as he aimed to crush his soul as his final words. "Whatever Intel you think you may have gathered is all but useless. You will die in the name of your Kingdom but your Kingdom has abandoned you, forsaken you."

The man, though silent, held his gaze defiantly as though challenging the deranged King.

Aizen smirked, "Tell me who sent you and I may spare your life."

As a final spit in the face the man made a disgusting gurgling noise before his eyes rolled back and blood poured from his mouth. He had chosen suicide, a dignified death in his mind.

With dead eyes, Aizen released his grip and waited for the snide remark from the man behind him. When nothing came, he spoke first, "Your brother's men." He said it as a statement, but still he was seeking confirmation.

"The last of them."

Aizen smiled as he made a move to leave the death hole and into the dreary rain, "For now. Say, how is that Tanaka girl coming along?"

At that the albino chuckled.

* * *

><p>Rukia still did not realise her symptoms were not those of exhaustion as she attempted to calm her breathing to no avail. She watched through bleary eyes as Grimmjow's mouth moved in speech, but her ears were failing to pick up anything beyond a buzzing noise. It was calming in a way, this silence and light weighted feeling. Had the numbness that was beginning to spread from her shoulders to her arms registered in her half conscious mind, she would've been alarmed with panic, but as it were, she merely sagged boneless against the trunk of the tree oblivious to her degenerating state of wellbeing.<p>

"Rukia." Grimmjow ordered firmly from where he hunched on the balls of his feet, "Recite to me the steps Yoruichi has taught you." He was trying to keep her conscious and distracted but her eyes could barely focus and it didn't seem much was registering to her, otherwise she would have been able to detect the subtle dread lingering in his typically neutral voice.

Shaking her shoulders tightly he tried again, this time speaking much louder, "Rukia. What did Yoruichi say about your progress?" He made no attempt to mask the frustration that slipped into his words as the sudden turn of events had caught him off guard. As a renowned tactician, he couldn't help but take the fault personally having failed to prepare for the situation.

It seemed this time his words had reached her as her eyes focused in responsiveness and her lips parted to speak. As long as he could hear her voice he could be certain for the time being that she was in no immediate danger. His mind was cussing all sorts of foulness as he readied himself to pick her up again to seek immediate medical attention, but as her words dragged out, he noticed with dread that she was in actuality suffocating. This time really cussing out loud, he reached for her back as she fell limply against his front and in haste and impatience, tried to undo the intricate lacing of her corset. His eyes continued to flicker beyond the trees hoping to see a passerby so that Byakuya could be alerted, but he knew it was futile knowing that not many bothered to venture beyond the gardens let alone into the forest.

His adrenaline spiked as he detected the halting of her words as he quickly glanced at her paling face to see her brows knotted in concentration. She was breathing with a lot more effort now. In his lifetime, Grimmjow had bedded more women than he could count, but never once had he encountered the intricacy of a corset. He swore out loud again, effectively capturing the attention of the girl resting against his broad chest.

"What's the matter?"

As a General, he had seen death so many times that he could no longer spare any emotions for the tragedy of it in fear that it would one day destroy his sanity. Yet somehow, as he watched Rukia unknowingly fight to remain conscious, he couldn't help the feeling of anger and panic as he saw the haunting similarities between Rukia and that of an innocent child dying as a result of a war that was not theirs.

Realising it was futile to pull blindly at the strings; he resorted to ripping the corset.

In that moment a deep growl, primitive and raw unmistakably signifying certain harm, resonated through the emptiness of the forest. Trepidation washed over the general as he realised the familiarity of it. He knew well what his predicament looked like from a bystander's perspective but instinct refused to let him stop.

Turning his head to his right, strong hands still at work, he saw Ichigo standing some feet away from them. Any hope that the King would understand the situation all but left him the moment he laid eyes on said man. Never in their years of growing up alongside each other had he seen the expression that now took over Ichigo's entire being; unchecked, unhindered.. almost crazed.

Ichigo was livid with unadulterated rage.

In that instant, Grimmjow knew that all words had forsaken them as he readied himself to bear the fury of Ichigo charging at him.

**~8~**


	11. Too Close

**Chapter 10**

**Too Close**

**~8~**

Something about the way Ichigo moved coupled with the animalistic flash in his brown eyes triggered a desperate warning in Grimmjow's mind, cautioning the General that the impact of this blow would be inevitable. Grimmjow staggered backwards the moment Ichigo dealt him a blow that sent him several feet away from Rukia. His eyes hardened instantly, surprised by the force of Ichigo's attack. As dire as the situation was becoming, Grimmjow could not deny the fighter's blood in him as it lured enticingly at his consciousness, and by the looks of it, his counterpart was out for blood too. Neither bothered to speak as Ichigo slammed his right foot against the ground, flash stepping with blinding speed at the General, bearing down on Grimmjow with the ferocity of a lion.

Crazed excitement took over the teal-haired man as he watched his only worthy opponent charge at him with nothing less of a true fight. His heart pumped with adrenaline knowing that Ichigo had the power to destroy any normal man as he met Ichigo's well executed kick with his own. Ichigo was too quick though as his hand flew straight at Grimmjow's neck and in one second dragged his General several more feet away before slamming him against the trunk of the tree. A flurry of leaves cascaded down upon impact but Grimmjow paid no attention as he swiped the hand from his neck and sidestepped, sweeping his arm back for a forceful punch. The King barely managed to duck in time as Grimmjow's fist grazed his hair before he flash stepped backwards.

Not a second had passed before the two met halfway with inconceivable strength as Grimmjow's forearm connected with Ichigo's raised shin in a defensive block. A growl escaped the back of the younger's throat as his eyes bore down on his childhood friend with anger. Ichigo reacted on adrenaline and instinct alone, ducking down and sweeping Grimmjow's legs from underneath him, but though he achieved his strike it did nothing to appease him even at the grunt of annoyance from his opponent. Grimmjow had fallen but with inhuman speed, he recovered as his right leg extended in a jump kick aimed at Ichigo's head. Raising his right arm in time to block the kick, the King took hold of his General's ankle with his free hand and, leveraging his whole body for strength, lunged the blue-haired man away from him.

Grimmjow slid stealthily against the grass, his right hand pulling at the ground to stop his movement. But Ichigo was far from letting up, his anger still pushing him to his limits. Like a game of cat and mouse, Ichigo had swung his opponent away just to appear before him in blinding speed as his open palm drove into Grimmjow's chest, eliciting a dry exhalation of air. Grimmjow brought his knee up to slam into Ichigo's chest but said man must have known as his palm rose effortlessly to block the attack. Ichigo had had enough as he pulled Grimmjow up and slammed him against the closest tree, his hands fisting the collar of his tunic. Had Grimmjow truly wanted to resist, he could have easily done so, but as he observed the look on Ichigo's face he knew he had just discovered his friend's ultimate weakness.

"What vileness were you intending Grimmjow?" He spat, his voice low and dangerous and laced with disgust.

In an instant Grimmjow's eyes widened as though snapping from his trance, and like a bucket of ice water had poured over him, urgency gripped at him.

Cussing angrily he stared seriously at Ichigo, "Listen to me. It's not what it looks like." Glancing at Rukia, who had not made a noise, he decided explanations could wait, "Trust me fool! Go to her, we need to alert Byakuya now!"

Whether his instinct had always told him to trust Grimmjow or his mind was simply overloaded with confusion and chaos, he found he did not doubt the cerulean-haired man's words as his neck snapped towards Rukia's direction. For the first time, he took in her slouched posture and her sickly ashen hued skin as her small body heaved with effort to breath.

Time ceased to exist and all that transmitted in his awareness was the clenching pain in his chest. A sense of dread unlike anything he had ever felt manifested his entire being, spreading so violently in his consciousness he thought he was suffocating. No logical thought processed in his mind but he found himself by her side in a blur as Grimmjow took that moment to flash step off to find Byakuya. He was vaguely aware that the General had demanded the corset be taken off immediately.

Pulling her small body into his arms he cupped her face with his large hand, "Rukia.." he called out nervously, fear draping her name.

In that moment he found he did not care to decipher the situation before him, he did not care for the innate strategist in him that would have typically attempted to make logical sense of the predicament nor did he care for the existence of a threat within his own castle gates. All that registered to him was how to make the pain and danger all go away for Rukia.

Her lips were parted and her eyes were hooded but it seemed she could no longer see who was in front of her. She was almost completely unconscious but he knew she was holding on with everything she had.

He knew exactly what the symptoms meant but he did not want to think it. Pulling her roughly so that her body was pushed up against him, her head resting against the nape of his neck, in one angry and desperate motion, he tore the corset apart.

Instantly her chest heaved profoundly, much like someone resurfacing from water, and she coughed violently. His scowl deepened in anxiety as his eyes looked on with endless worry and all he could think of was how this could not be happening.

"Rukia." He called again. No response.

He dropped his head so that his face rested against her pasty skin as his mouth hovered softly against her ear. In desperation he tried again, "Rukia." He had shut his eyes by now, his heart feeling a beating as it drummed painfully in his throat. He wasn't sure whether he had dropped his head so that she could hear him better or whether he had done it for himself, to satiate the need to be closer to her.

His eyes flew open when he thought he felt her twitch. "Rukia!" Pulling his face away from hers, he cradled her right cheek in his palm, willing her eyes to focus on him, "Can you hear me?" He shook her gently but she made no further movement. "Rukia clench your fist for me!"

He knew she had heard him when he watched her fingers twitch with effort but struggled to form a fist. He knew then that she was beginning to lose her motor senses. He damned everything to hell as he made a move to pick her up and run for whatever help he could find. As his right arm slipped beneath the inside of her knees her body suddenly convulsed violently. Ichigo watched on helplessly and in pain as she suddenly coughed up blood before her body turned itself to the side as she vomited violently onto the grass, all the while Ichigo never let her go.

All the while, Ichigo just wanted to scream.

* * *

><p>Riding out the last of his orgasm, he finally collapsed onto his lover. With the smell of sex lingering in the cool air, they simply lay there basking in their afterglow. It seemed like everything had ended too soon when their heartbeats had slowed to a normal pace and all that remained were each other's steady breaths to remind them of the small bliss they had inside these stone walls.<p>

Stroking his hair as he lay atop of her, she spoke, "Something bothers you."

Gin did not speak immediately but she did not expect him to. She continued playing with his hair, unperturbed by his lack of response. An indefinite amount of time passed by before he rolled off of her and lay flat on his back, staring emotionlessly at the ceiling.

"Kira. He has been discovered." He said simply, his expression void of anything revealing.

But Matsumoto knew better as her facial features hardened in sorrow, "He is dead then." The slight upward inflection at the end of her sentence indicated that she was seeking clarification.

He seemed to contemplate this for a while, but somehow, the strawberry blonde knew he had already drawn his conclusions. "I hope so."

She didn't force anything knowing the rarity of Gin's willingness to drop his guard. She had, however, picked up on his odd behaviour the moment they made love. Tonight it had been completely physical for him, so detached he was that she was surprised he had even called her name.

Rolling up to his side as he instinctively wrapped his arm around her, she consoled, "His death will not be in vain."

This time, though his features remained indifferent, Rangiku detected the underlying sorrow in his words, "I am the only one left."

She wanted to tell him that he had her, but she understood what he meant. He had watched helplessly as his comrades one by one all gradually disappeared. But Kira had been more personal to him having been Kira's mentor when the blond was no more than just a boy under the ruling of Kurosaki Isshin. Now he could only deduce from his absence that Aizen had found him. Two years ago he would have harboured hope that it was a painless death. Even prayed that it was a suicide.

But two years later he knew there were no such luxuries like hope or prayers inside these walls.

God had forsaken this place and him a long time ago. He could only hope his Kingdom had not.

* * *

><p>Every silent minute that went by felt akin to a small eternity with nothing but his anguished thoughts to keep him company. Closing his eyes and unfeeling to the coolness of the marble wall against his back, he recalled the way he had pushed Rukia into Byakuya's arms as though she was acidic to his touch and yet paradoxically had instantly mourned the loss of her against him. His mind was in chaos, and although he chanted like a mantra in his head that she was in capable hands now, it did nothing to alleviate the turmoil in his heart. His right hand gripped his hair and it took everything in him to not succumb to the buckling of his knees as the heaviness of his body felt more than he could bear.<p>

The wind picked up but he paid no attention to the serenity of the night in fear that the beauty and peace of the ambience would be too much of an irony to what had transpired merely hours ago. His eyes winced again for the umpteenth time that evening as a surge of emotions barricaded his complete consciousness at the realisation of Rukia's brush with death. The fear that overcame him still lingered in his blood as he recalled the way he had sprinted madly, with no affirmative direction, in a desperate search for Byakuya as he had cradled her limp form against him. He knew that it was by no luck that he had chanced upon a running Byakuya as he found him in the hallway with Grimmjow, both men ready to take off to the forest. He knew that Grimmjow had inadvertently saved Rukia.

Before his mind could torturously replay the incident again, his ears picked up two sets of sturdy footsteps approaching his direction. He made no indication of moving as he kept his eyes closed and his heavy back against the wall. The footsteps halted in front of him just by the edge of the gardens and bed chambers and he waited for the news.

"My Lord." Byakuya spoke, his tone even and steady. "The lady is out of harm's way now."

Though Ichigo never doubted the ability of his doctor, it still brought him great relief to hear the words.

Ichigo didn't see the flicker of surprise on Byakuya's stoic features when he quietly breathed out a, "Thank-you."

Nevertheless, Byakuya continued, "The work of poison." He confirmed. "It is a good thing that she vomited; the poison had yet to fuse completely with her blood so she was able to eject most of it from her system."

When Ichigo did not speak and Grimmjow merely leant against a pillar without a word, he went on, "The poison, whilst not intended to rid her of her life still carried the effect of paralysation. I could only extract so much blood from her with the leeches, so remnants of the poison still linger in her body. In time her system will be able to fight it off, but for now.." Byakuya paused, slightly hesitant as he watched for Ichigo's signal.

The king opened his eyes and granted approval for the medical genius to continue.

Byakuya nodded in acknowledgement, "For now, she will be in a lot of pain."

All over again, Ichigo was hit with a rush of guilt and torment so strong he had to clench his jaw from making any sounds.

He made sure he steadied his tone before he spoke, but still his voice sounded foreign and coarse, "Can you not administer an antidote to lessen the pain?"

Again Byakuya hesitated, feeling a growing sympathy for Rukia. "I have. Without the antidote the pain would be...indescribable."

Ichigo felt numb as he schooled his features to conceal the torrent of emotions.

"No one." He muttered before looking seriously at the two men before him, "What has transpired today and Rukia's condition is not to be uttered to another person, and that pertains to her sisters."

This came of no surprise to the men as they understood from the beginning that something much larger and sinister was at play within the castle gates. The threat was real, and it needed to be eliminated quickly.

"Thank-you Byakuya. That will be all."

Bowing, Byakuya made his exit as he nodded at the General and retired for the night.

When he was sure no one was within hearing vicinity, Grimmjow finally spoke, "Go and see her."

Ichigo didn't need to look at him to know that his childhood friend could see his anxiety. He chuckled lowly and bitterly, "What can I do for her?" He asked rhetorically.

Whilst Grimmjow had stayed within the room during the entirety of Byakuya's medical attention, Ichigo had fled and spent the next torturous few hours berating himself.

The teal-haired general's features remained unfazed, only looking at the King evenly, disinclined to retort in his usual sarcastic and provoking manner.

Ichigo shook his head, "It seems I bring her nothing but pain."

The young King hadn't realised how much it would tear at him hearing those words spoken, but even he couldn't deny the truth behind it. All he could think about were the innumerable hardships Rukia had had to endure since he had entered her life. It pained him even more that he had begun to entertain the idea of departing from her life. At least then he could protect her that way.

"It seems she thinks it is worth enduring."

Ichigo visibly jolted at those words, and for the first time that night, he directed his gaze at Grimmjow. "What did you say?"

Looking indifferent, the general simply shrugged his right shoulder, "You wish to see her." He stated simply, "So see her."

Ichigo momentarily paused. What his friend suggested was outrageous... yet so completely logical he found himself rendered speechless. He wanted nothing more than to be by the side of Rukia, but could it really be so simple now?

But before he dwelled on the matter for any longer, he found he had already pushed himself off the wall as his feet walked on their own accord. Pausing as he passed Grimmjow and his smug smirk, he straightened his back and cleared his voice, "I, uh-,"

"I get it." Grimmjow brushed off, "Go to her."

Without words, an apology was accepted and forgiveness was granted as Ichigo nodded, and in haste, made his way to Rukia.

* * *

><p>He summoned all his courage as he braced himself for what he would be facing the moment he stepped through the double oak wood doors. Tentatively grasping the doorknob, he gently pushed open the only remaining barrier between himself and Rukia. No amount of courage could have prepared him for the sight before him. In a bed, seemingly much too large for the small girl, he watched from the doorway the fitful breathing of a girl who suddenly looked so frail he wished for a moment that the glow of the moon did not provide the light that illuminated the room so hauntingly.<p>

As anguish once again engulfed him, with heavy motions, he closed the door behind him and in desperate strides walked to her side. For several minutes, he simply stood there tormenting himself with the accountability of her predicament. All he knew to say to himself was how this was brought upon by none other but him, that he was nothing but a bad omen to her.

Yet even as he told himself this, he couldn't stop the hand that reached for her pale cheek nor could he prevent himself from sitting himself by the chair next to her bed.

When all else failed, he sought comfort in the one place he knew he would undoubtedly attain it.

So for a brief moment, he allowed his guard to drop, allowed his desire to talk hold, and let his heart do as it pleased, for the desperate search for solace was fast becoming unbearable.

He told himself it would only be for the briefest of seconds. It would be a secret he would take to his grave. Though the action typically never held such significant value, deep within his own heart, he knew better.

He grasped her small hand and, with heartbreaking gentleness, intertwined his fingers with hers. Without taking his eyes off her face, he brought her hand to his face and softly grazed her knuckles against his lips.

His second was up.

He smiled sadly to himself as he brought her hand back down to the bed, finally ready to let her go.

In a way, this was goodbye.

He looked at her like a broken man as slowly he made a move to retract his hand from hers.

But _she_ held on. She refused to let _him_ go.

Slowly, her eyes opened.

**~8~**


	12. Friendship

**Author's Note: **Thank-you to everyone who continues to read and support this story!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

**Friendship**

**~8~**

Her throat was parched, her mind was bleary and her body felt heaviness unlike anything she had ever experienced. Her slowly awaking consciousness was vaguely able to make out the soft murmuring beside her, but her eyes were failing to open. For a moment her mind was slowly succumbing back into the peaceful dark abyss, eager to give into the infinite blissful oblivion. But a gnawing feeling in her chest brought her fighting to regain consciousness. Like waking from a very deep slumber, her eyes slowly opened as the indistinct outlines of her bed chambers gradually came to view. She did not immediately speak as she tried to make sense of why she was in such a state of confusion, having no thread of memory of how this situation came to be.

Steadily rousing from her slumber, she carefully tried to turn her head in the direction of where she presumed the voices were coming from.

There was a momentary pause before a hushed voice came out calmly, "The lady is waking."

"Do not disturb her just yet," Another distinctly deep male voice added, one that she was acutely familiar with but could not quite yet place, "she may just be drifting in and out of consciousness."

She had once again lost focus on her vision as her eyes threatened to give way to exhaustion. Slumber was still luring her to let go of her reality and she would have ordinarily given in had her curious mind not been plagued with countless questions.

Swallowing heavily and refraining to wince from the sting of her dry throat, she managed to rasp out "Water."

With resolve, she opened her eyes again, this time determined to keep them open. Clearing her vision and finally putting a face to the familiar voice, she watched as Byakuya leaned over her to examine her eyes and limbs. She did not bother to question his actions and why she had suddenly substituted Hisana as his patient, but his behaviour did add to her growing apprehension. With the mounting confusion, she decided to ignore her parched throat and made an attempt to vocalise her concerns. However, much to her relief, before her throat took another strain, a thin arm entered her line of sight as her eyes flickered to the other raven-haired man in the room.

She recognised him immediately to be one of Ichigo's most trusted advisors, Uryuu Ishida. With a gentle nod and a free arm offering to assist in her sitting up enough to drink the water his other hand held, he carefully aided her into a more elevated position. Politely taking the cup from his hand, she nodded her thanks before relieving her throat of its pain.

Byakuya finished applying the last of the ointment on her skin, now littered with subtle red marks from the leeches, and asked, "Lady Rukia, how do you feel? Do you sense any pain?"

Her concerns were only confirmed by his choice of question. "No." She answered with an accompanied shake of the head before she asked. "What happened?" She daringly looked Byakuya straight in the eyes, hoping against odds that he would be honest with her.

"You have been unwell," He replied, cautious with his selection of words, "to offset your condition, his Highness decided to keep you sedated until the pain wore off. You have been unconscious for four days now." He had been honest with her, he at least knew she deserved that much, but even still his answer was evasive, fearing that her young mind would not be able to comprehend her predicament.

Her brows immediately furrowed in worry at the thought of what had kept her unconscious for four days. Certainly something very serious, yet her hazy mind failed to remember specific details. At best she was able to recall her last waking moment had been with Grimmjow and she had been training as per usual until she grew exhausted. Beyond that, everything felt like an indistinguishable fog draped across her eyes.

She pressed on, though her posture spoke of a recovering patient, her voice was increasingly becoming stronger, her way of telling the men that she could handle the truth. "What condition is it that you speak of?"

Fleetingly, Byakuya couldn't help the sympathy he felt for the girl, particularly when said girl resembled Hisana so much. However, despite the compassion, his tone remained impartial. "There was poison in your blood. Not lethal enough to take a life but still rather bothersome had it completely fused with your blood. You heaved most of it out of your body before you fell unconscious."

Rukia had to swallow to hold back any outward reaction of fear. Her features hardened as she took in a shaky breath. For some reason, though she felt no sadness, the back of her eyes began to sting, but she quickly willed away the prickling sensation. This was an out of body experience for her as a myriad of emotions came forcefully barging at her and all too abruptly, she was forced to come to terms that someone had intended her harm. Her body tingled in an uncomfortable numbness and with the onslaught of thoughts and emotions, her survival instincts kicked in as momentarily her mind barred her off from feeling altogether as it endeavoured to oppress the sudden revelation.

"I see." Was all she said, her face blank and unreadable.

After much observing and feeling somewhat sorry for all the burden Rukia had now had to carry on her shoulders, Ishida spoke, "I think his Grace will be pleased to hear that you have woken. I have been diligently sent to monitor your healing progress for the past four days."

Rukia's amethyst eyes looked up at the smaller man in the room before she found herself questioning him again, "The Lord sent you?"

All of a sudden, she was keenly aware of the lack of Ichigo's presence.

"Yes." Ishida nodded as he registered the flicker of hurt that crossed her expression, "Does something ail you my lady?"

There was hesitation, but when she did speak, her voice took on an unfamiliar coldness "No.."

Rukia bit the inside of her mouth so as to remain discreet about her anger and hurt. The stinging sensation of her eyes returned but no tears fell. She wished she had been just angry at her King, but alas, she found the emotion increasingly more akin to that of betrayal than anger, and she didn't know how to deal with such foreign and intense emotions. For the first time in her life she found herself loathing the fact that she had been correct, correct in her assumption that he simply felt no desire to seek her out, correct in that she was the only one silly enough to interpret him teaching her the piano as anything more than companionship. She had now lost count of how many days had passed since he had come to see her, and she simply loathed to think about their last encounter at the play. The hurt only intensified now that she realised that her being injured was still not reason enough to motivate a visit from whom she had thought was her friend.

She bit her lip again.

Sensing a change in her mood, Ishida quickly decided to amend his words.

"His Grace was the one who saved you from harm's way, he carried you from the forest to seek out Lord Byakuya." Not much ever escaped Ishida's observation and something told him that his words held a very negative connotation to Rukia though he could not yet decipher a more precise explanation.

She missed him. She missed him so terribly it hurt, but nothing could compare to the pain that it was all just one-sided. So he had known of the severity of her condition but the only attention he could spare her was the monitoring from his advisor. She wanted to laugh, for nothing else came close to expressing the abandonment she felt. Looking at Byakuya and Ishida more closely, it finally registered to her that she had been poisoned and unconscious for four days, yet the only people with her as she woke were acquaintances.

Habitually, she couldn't help but gradually direct the anger at herself. She could only blame herself for being so naive to harbour the notion that the King was her friend. Had she not conjured up this false sense of belonging, she would have never been exposed to such hurt. Yet even as she told herself this, she found herself increasingly eager to vent her frustrations.

Sitting a little straighter, she looked at Ishida with determined eyes, "May I be so bold to request that you escort me to his Highness?"

Ishida was quick to frown in response as he tried to speak reason into her, "I do not think that will be wise, you may no longer be in pain, but your body remains weak."

"I understand." She nodded, and for a second Ishida really thought he had convinced her, "Then I shall seek out the Lord on my own, thank-you."

He looked at Rukia with a deadpanned expression, at once catching on, "You do not truly give me a choice my lady."

"My apologies." She confirmed his theory, and had the mood been less somber, she would have smiled a mischievous smile.

"No need. I shall bring you to the King." He sighed in resignation.

* * *

><p>When the doors opened for Ishida, Rukia was almost overwhelmed by the scene before her, her earlier bravado all but dissipating into thin air as her eyes fell upon the men all seated in the Throne room. Her eyes quickly fell on Ichigo as he sat on his throne with his chin resting in his palm, intently listening to the words of a man whom Rukia noted had beautiful long white hair. She noticed with minuscule relief that Grimmjow along with Urahara and Yoruichi were all present, but that relief quickly dissolved as she gradually realised she had stumbled her way into what looked to be an important meeting. With a sudden change of heart, she wanted to turn back around and leave but Ichigo's gaze had flickered towards her before her body was able to respond to her thoughts.<p>

For a brief second, a look of unguarded surprise took hold of his handsome features before it was replaced by his signature furrowing of the brows. In the same moment, the eight other occupants in the room turned to look at what had caught the King's attention. Rukia froze, and gauging Ishida's sudden rigid form, he too felt the weight of the nine pairs of eyes on him. The raven-haired girl could only deduce that if even one of the most trusted advisors felt the weight of intimidation in this room, then it said a lot about the power the occupants in attendance held.

Seated closest to Ichigo were two men Rukia had never seen during her stay in Court, one being the aforementioned kind looking man with the long white hair and the other being an apathetic looking man with wavy brown hair tied together at the base of his neck. To the left of both men sat the godparents and it did not go by unnoticed that Yoruichi was the only woman in the midst of the high-ranking advisors and minsters. Looking more serious than she could recall was the General himself whom by now was engaged in a side discussion with a man with a '69' tattoo on his cheek. The two remaining occupants in the room were none that she had seen though she was able to catch the male with the short blonde hair and abnormally long teeth addressing the person beside him 'Kensei'.

"What is the meaning of this Advisor?" Ichigo's back straightened as he asked Ishida, in a clear warning tone, for the intrusion.

Ishida was quick to bow and internally chastised himself for neglecting the fact that these meetings were increasingly getting longer, and though his presence was usually expected, he understood that Ichigo was referring to his companion. "Forgive me your Highness." And he stayed bowed.

"My Lord." Rukia hastily jumped in to justify Ishida's actions and curtseyed with strain, "Please, this was all my doing, Lord Ishida merely made certain that I would not," she paused here, trying to conceal the fact that she was still very weak, "_stray_."

Sighing and dismissing Ishida's bow, Ichigo rubbed at his temples before speaking evenly at his youngest advisor, "Ishida, bring Lady Rukia to the great hall." And then directing his eyes at the obviously weakened girl, he said "I will attend to you shortly."

Bowing to the King himself and the other authoritative figures in the room, Ishida led Rukia to the empty great hall before he excused himself and rushed back to whatever was left of the meeting. The moment she was left alone, Rukia was quick to find herself a chair as she almost collapsed into the cushions of it. Evening out her breathing, she gripped the polished wooden arm of the chair and gritted her teeth as she continued to endure the lingering effects of the poison. However, the moment she closed her eyes, she was again all too aware of why she had forced her weakened body to seek out the King. All at once, she remembered the hurt and confusion all too clearly.

She didn't know how long she had stayed immobile in that chair, thinking of everything she would say to the King, before she bolted into a standing position the moment Ichigo's voice broke through her thoughts.

"You are not well enough to be out of bed."

Ichigo had stopped by the dining table, leaving a rather generous distance between them as Rukia straightened her back and moved away from the chair. She kept her back straight and hid any outward signs of fatigue, uncomfortable with the thought of pity or sympathy from Ichigo.

"Yes. I am aware of that, Lord Byakuya did the honour of informing me my condition. Thank-you for your concern." She hadn't meant to sound so cold, but she couldn't help the frustrations that had steadfastly mounted in the time that she had been alienated from him.

Ichigo was taken aback from the foreign tone she had taken having never seen Rukia anything but warm, nevertheless he reasoned with her. "If you had known then there is no reason you should be coercing my advisor into escorting you around Court."

Rukia bit her inner cheek to hide the sting of his indifference as her defence mechanism only barricaded her further away from her usual self. She showed him that she too could be callously apathetic as her tone sounded hauntingly empty. "Be at ease my Lord, I promise you my condition is well enough to carry out the task expected of me."

At this, Ichigo couldn't help but frown at what she was implying as he quipped back defensively, "Excuse me?"

Rukia's voice did not waver and her eyes did not stray from his but subconsciously her right arm darted out to hold onto the nearest thing to steady her standing, evidence to Ichigo that the poison remained. He flinched slightly; almost about to react in some fashion at the fear of her collapsing, but seeing though she was doing her best efforts to mask her fatigue, he played ignorant.

Her tone remained flat and uncaring, but her eyes spoke of a more honest hurt, "That is your foremost matter of interest is it not, whether I am still adequate for the task."

Ichigo did not immediately reply as he took a moment to absorb this sudden change in demeanour. He regarded her carefully as he tried to read between the coldness of her facade and the harshness of her words and slowly, he began to realise that Rukia was upset. "My foremost priority is your health and safety," He said calmly and much more personally than his initial attempt at reasoning with her, "the mission you speak of is of little importance to me right now."

But it seemed his honest words fell on unbelieving ears. "I am beginning to feel that you are merely pretty with your words."

He knew no matter how he interpreted those words there would be no way he wouldn't be offended by them. Moreover he couldn't ignore the sharp pain in his chest at her accusation. If she had known of the loneliness he endured having avoided her for the past fortnight and the anguish he suffered seeing her in pain, he knew she would not be so cruel with her words...but she didn't know. At the realisation of that, he once again found he could not blame her for her anger for she too was most likely undergoing unwanted emotions of her own. With the unjustness of their circumstances, he found himself getting angry.

So he lashed out and spoke in his most authoritative and warning tone, "I shall remind you that it is the King in which you are speaking to."

"Of course it is." She quipped back, her pent up hurt and frustrations finally snapping, "You do well in reminding me whom I speak with or how you wish for me to act. Forgive me my Lord but I'm afraid I can no longer keep up with your mixed messages." Her fingers tightened around the chair holding her up until her knuckles turned white.

His anger lingered but confusion was quickly taking to the forefront of his awareness as he took in a deep breath and tried to temper his misdirected annoyance, absolutely despising the resignation in her voice. "I do not understand your frustrations with me."

She simply dismissed his comment as though she was simply too immersed in her own thoughts or simply too tired from incessantly wondering what she had done to warrant Ichigo's blatant ignoring. "When you feel that I am out of line, when you wish to hold authority over me you never fail to impose your status on me." Slowly her anger was dispersing as something else started to dominate her demeanour, one Ichigo did not think he would handle well.

She continued, never knowing that Ichigo had inwardly flinched at the truth behind her words, "When you seek out freedom, a moment away from your duties you desire to only be yourself with me." She paused momentarily, her aggression still quite distinct, before reminding him, "Yet do you remember that it is you who asked to just be 'Ichigo' in my presence?"

Ichigo realised that he was, for the first time, witnessing Rukia in her vulnerability, "Rukia, please...calm down."

And she did, not because he asked her to but because she couldn't speak this part without feeling empty and discarded. "You always came to visit during training, and then suddenly you just stopped coming. Without a word you simply ceased coming." All anger and aggression gone, instead a deep sense of hurt laced her every word. "I cannot keep up with your heart's whims. Either you are my King or you are my friend, both who _have_ _always_ and _will always_ have my greatest respect." And then her eyes softened to a plea, "But please... please do not be a King when you want to be, and then a friend when your heart desires so. I simply cannot keep up."

Ichigo took a step forward, subconsciously trying to reach out to her but faltered as he decided against it. His features had by now softened as he looked on at the young Rukia enduring her own conflicting emotions. He hadn't realised that she had been kept in the dark with only her thoughts to distinguish the reason for his actions in the past fortnight. To feel powerless was maddening, but to feel abandoned as a consequence of his actions, and a consequence that she had had to endure alone... he hated himself then.

A heavy silence hung over them as Rukia's eyes was now downcast and Ichigo was taken aback by shame.

Ichigo was the first to break the silence with a half honest confession, "I wanted to come see you." He would never tell her that he had avoided her in fear of giving into desire and losing any remnants of self-control. He would never tell her that he had been by her side every night, when he was sure everyone had retired to bed, that he would be seated next to her watching as she breathed in exertion for only God knows how long.

"But you didn't." There was no callousness in her tone, just a deep rooted sadness. "Do you know who it was that I woke up to after four days? My sister's doctor and my King's advisor." She shook her head, "No, it wasn't the best feeling." She left out the fact that it only further emphasised how alone she was.

Ichigo clenched his jaw and tightened his fists as he refrained from telling her how wrong she was. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't reveal the forbidden nature of the entirety of this cruel predicament they were placed in. It would be easier if he could summon the courage to simply give up and walk away from all of this, but she made it so difficult. He knew it was a sign when she had held on the first night she was poisoned. When she had opened her eyes he had panicked, yet when he had realised that she was merely drifting in and out of consciousness, he had been disappointed. A selfish part of him just wanted her to know, though what it was exactly that he wanted her to know, he still couldn't decipher.

When she decided that he would not attempt to salvage their bond, she knew it was time to take her leave from the great hall, from him. "Thank-you for listening. I have taken much of your time, it is best I retire for the evening."

Releasing the chair from her death grip, she prayed she would leave an impression of poise as his final thought of her.

But his voice ceased all movements, as he looked her very intently in the eyes. "Rukia." His tone was serious, but she recognised 'Ichigo' in this tone not the 'King'. "Why did you do it?" At her puzzled look, he reiterated more clearly, "Why did you toast my impending marriage?"

At once she knew he was referencing her speech to him and Senna on that dreadful night of the play.

Rukia couldn't help the frown of confusion at his question. She couldn't see how it was relevant nor could she see the significance in it for him. It wasn't _his_ soul that was utterly crushed that night, nevertheless she answered him truthfully, "I was left with no choice. You granted me pardon, but it was a wish I could not deny my sister."

"But you cared little for how I felt." Whether he had intended for Rukia to hear or not, she would never know, nonetheless she heard every word, and every word he mumbled in bitterness felt like a prick to her heart.

"Pardon?"

"It's nothing." He dismissed evenly, and then looked at her again, "You are right, it has been selfish of me to have imposed double standards on you. I am sorry." He spoke with sincerity before his tone took on one of resignation, "Perhaps it is better that you see me as your King... it is best that way."

Just as she had begun to accept his apology, not a moment later all the anger she initially felt came rushing back. "So that's it? You will throw away our friendship just like that."

"Then what will you have me do?" he retorted hotly, his patience lost as he couldn't understand what it was that Rukia wanted from him. He apologised and gave her the answer she was seeking yet it seemed to have done nothing to quell her anger.

Not the only one losing their patience, Rukia threw her hands up in the air almost in child-like fashion and admitted, "I don't know! I thought if I gained some closure from you I would be better off, happier even. But I don't feel happy at all, far from it. In fact, now I feel miserable." Her large confused eyes sought out Ichigo's amber eyes and he noticed at once that the foreign angry Rukia from earlier on had all but depleted, and all that was left standing in front of him was the resilient girl he had grown completely attached to.

As he watched her in her confused state, obviously unprepared for the possibility of this outcome, he couldn't deny the contentment and relief that flowed through him. He had been right after all, when Rukia had held onto his hand, it had meant something. They both knew that Rukia had inadvertently admitted to not wanting to be away from him.

He shook his head but refrained from letting his chuckle escape. "Are all women so peculiar?" He asked, slowly making his way to her and closing the gap between them.

"Yes." Looking to the side and hoping to mask the blush that formed from her admission of not wanting to lose him as a friend, she folded her arms across her chest and missed the relieved smile on her King's face.

She was almost about to protest when she vaguely noticed that he was invading her personal space when she was rendered speechless as he enveloped her in a hug, his forehead resting on the top of her head. Her eyes widened as she felt her breath shorten. Her folded arms, the only barrier keeping his chest from being completely pressed up against hers tensed in shock. He seemed so calm, and noticing that he wasn't indicating moving any time soon, she slowly relaxed into his hold. She turned her head and rested her left cheek against his chest and smiled.

His action said everything he could not.

The smell of her was intoxicating, and though he had acted on impulse, he found he did not care for anything else in that moment. He couldn't even care if someone walked in on their embrace, nor did he pay heed to the consequences. Everything just felt so right having her in his arms.

Slowly, she found that in his presence she could finally wholly face the severity of her situation. Calmly, she murmured to herself, "I was poisoned." She had spoken the words so softly he knew that she was simply taking the moment to absorb the fact and not actually speaking for him to acknowledge.

She had been in so much shock that her subconscious had repressed the news when Byakuya had first informed her. But somehow, her courage had returned in this moment, and finally she was able to come to terms with her near fatal experience.

His hold on her only tightened. "Are you afraid?"

She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. "No." _Not anymore. _

**~8~**


	13. A Learning Experience

**AN: **Have a look at the beautiful drawing **Melee** has shared with us. It is a depiction of Ichigo and Rukia from the Prologue, inspired by the line _"My King whispers against the nape of my naked neck every night that he loves me for the very reason that I am my own person."_

(Can't seem to post the link in this chapter, it seems to delete everything up until .com etc. The link can be found on my profile.)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

**A Learning Experience**

**~8~**

Rukia almost jumped out of her skin when she noticed too late that Ichigo had taken the seat next to her and was already peering over her shoulder in mild curiosity. Slamming the leather bound book with force and scrambling to conceal the identity of the content that had ensnared her attention for the entirety of the morning, she hastily stood and made a vain attempt to bury the book haphazardly along the wooden shelves.

For the first time being so much shorter than her acquaintance proved to be a hindrance as Ichigo effortlessly reached above her head and swiftly snatched the book before she was able to shove away the evidence that would incriminate her of her embarrassing endeavour. Making a noise that fell between a whine and an indignant huff, Rukia resigned herself to the inevitable teasing she was sure to endure. Crossing her arms defensively and sitting down in a huff, she made a point to stare outside the windows into the gardens and ignored the burning of her ears.

"There was nothing to do." She defended needlessly from where she sat beside the quiet King, only further implicating herself of guilt as the blush reached her neck and cheeks. She internally chastised herself for being overly immersed inside the pages, so much so, that she had lost track of time and hadn't even noticed the arrival of another person. "I cannot train and I cannot let slip that I have been poisoned, which means I have no one I can be around save for you and your advisors whom aside from your godparents and Grimmjow, I am not well acquainted with." She spoke in one breath.

Ichigo idly flipped from page to page, his face an almost blank expression save for the genuine flicker of perplexity in his eyes as he sat frustratingly unperturbed next to the epitome of 'frustration' and 'perturbed' in its human form.

"You could have just asked me about this." He proposed easily, not completely noting or understanding the discomfort the discovery of such book brought the raven-haired girl.

In response, she merely flushed harder but was at least grateful that he had yet to tear his eyes away from the pages, hence unseeing to her brilliant impersonation of a tomato.

She held back from saying outright that she was simply too shy or embarrassed to ask him directly and hoped to subdue his question with, "I think I would have asked Yoruichi before I would have sort you out."

"But why?" His eyes quickly darted in confusion towards an unsuspecting Rukia who instantly jolted and turned her head away in a hopeless attempt to mask her humiliation. "I would undoubtedly know more than Yoruichi." He reasoned earnestly, still unaware that his presence had caught Rukia off guard.

One week had passed since their emotionally turbulent ordeal, and whilst it had more or less been as uneventful as court would ever be, the tension, ironically, was palpable to those who knew of what had transpired inside the castle walls. To Rukia, it had been a week that seemed surreal, and had it not been for Ichigo's continual companionship, she feared the chance of slipping into a near depressed state was far too real. As a result of adhering to Ichigo's demand of absolute discretion on the matter of her poisoning, Rukia had been forced to disguise her frail state to that of a common flu and had begun avoiding her sisters at all costs. Consequently, she was left with little option but to isolate herself in her already marginalised place in court.

Forced into spending her days alone to recover, Rukia had once again fallen back into her habit of immersing herself within the pages of a world far away from her own... and much to her inner delight, she had noted on Ichigo's consistent and prolonged visits ever since her confrontation with him. She still vaguely wondered where she had managed to muster the confidence to challenge the King, and decided that the only explanation to her irrational behaviour was that her bleary mind had lacked the ability for any rational contemplation at the time. She was thankful for that. Since that day, something had changed between them. It wasn't much, nor was it obvious, but the presence of each other had become natural, even comforting.

Of course, even with their newfound bond, she was not folly enough to reveal that she was beginning to miss the company of Yoruichi and Grimmjow. She didn't think he would mind too much about Yoruichi, but Grimmjow was something else entirely and she was not about to test her theory. The suspension of her training brought her mixed feelings. She couldn't deny the diminutive relief it brought her, but to think that it had been all for nothing, that did not sit well with her. Much like her earlier days in court, it suddenly felt all too familiar – almost like déjà vu, this feeling of an aimless path that seemed never ending in its directionless road. She loathed dwelling on it.

"That would be true, but since you've never spoken about it, who is to say that you would be willing to share with me?"

Still eyeing the book as though it brought him memories of a happier time, he ran his fingers down the pages and did not answer Rukia immediately, somewhat aware that the continued silence made her increasingly squeamish. "But you would pry outside of my awareness? Behind my back?"

She opened her mouth only to snap it shut again feeling slightly stumped by his logic, "Well now that you put it that way... I suppose I would, but not as horribly as you imply it to be." And then she rested her chin against her palm, and Ichigo would never tell her how much he loved seeing her pout, however rare it was.

He continued on indifferently with only a subtle 'something peculiar' in his tone, "So to spare me from discomfort, you would enquire Yoruichi?"

With her pout still in place and her expression a little put out, she mumbled without thought, "I would."

He finally decided to close the cover, "And if Yoruichi couldn't answer your questions?"

"I suppose I would seek out more books, I would have no one left more knowledgeable than Yoruichi on the matter and I'm not curious enough to ask Lord Urahara." She brooded, and even had Ichigo not picked up on her tone, her entire demeanour spoke volume of her moping.

"That would be wise." He replied in reference to his godfather, "So..." he smiled as he handed the book back to her, "this was just because there was nothing to do." He repeated her own sentiment back to her as he watched on with mirth as Rukia seemed to finally catch on to his ruse. "Such great lengths just to satiate a moment's boredom."

The death glare she shot him almost made him double over in laughter but instead he chose to simply lean back in his seat with his shoulders relaxed and his expression triumphant. He knew it would rile her up more and the thought of it brought him even more joy. He spared one last glance at his father's autobiography resting within Rukia's tightened fists before a genuine smile escaped him. There was just something incredibly heart-warming to see Rukia holding his father's book, and her embarrassment for being caught only fuelled on the endearment he felt.

"You." She hissed with narrowed eyes.

"I." He mocked in replica of her tone and expression and really did chuckle when he watched Rukia's jaw drop in incredulity at his ruthless teasing. Deciding that he had put her through enough embarrassment and not because he was falling victim to her pout, he offered, "How about I spare you from reading an unfinished book and answer anything that has piqued your curiosity."

Her eyes were the first to move as they looked on suspiciously at the man beside her before her upper body twisted so that she was directly facing him. "Anything?" she drawled out slowly, suspicious yet eager, hungry yet reserved.

"Well to the best of my knowledge," Ichigo responded uncertainly, not realising he had tilted slightly away from Rukia, "although I am now having reservations on this, your expression makes me rather uneasy."

She may be small in stature but Ichigo knew she was not one to underestimate, especially not when she looked so hungry for information.

She decided she would test the waters first, "Why is the book unfinished?"

It was Ichigo's turn to look out the windows and into the cloudless day as his demeanour seemed to relax and his expression took on the same appearance from when he first laid eyes on the book. "My father passed before it was anywhere near its completion," he spoke calmly and honestly making Rukia's feature soften as she too dropped her guarded manner and listened on intently, "but given that the content surrounds mostly of my family, I don't believe he ever intended it to be completed or published. At best it was written for leisure."

Rukia again felt a little embarrassed for being caught deliberately choosing a book that told of Ichigo's younger years but one glance at Ichigo's relaxed state, she decided perhaps it wasn't so bad after all.

"A kind King he was," she offered wisely, "but sickness does not discriminate, not even the most powerful."

Turning to look at the serious girl next to him he couldn't help but smile in humour again as she attempted to express her respect to his late father. There was something indescribably sweet about her genuine effort to be philosophical that he couldn't contain his impulse to tease, "You were acquainted with my father were you?"

"It's what I've read of course!" She defended, "I may be new to court but I promise you I am properly educated in the history of my Kingdom."

Suddenly curious to know not only what the scholars had written about his family, but more so intrigued by Rukia's perception of her King, he decided to turn the tables on the raven-haired beauty, "Then tell me what your books have taught you."

She fell silent for a short moment as she regarded him carefully and in all seriousness wondered whether her words would be appropriate. He watched on patiently as Rukia seemed to weigh up her choices and knew immediately by her hesitancy the component of his life that dictated her thoughts, "I know that you were not the only male heir." She asserted carefully, hoping she hadn't breached an area too sensitive for Ichigo's liking.

"I am not." Her response confirmed his theory, though it did little to surprise him as he had grown accustomed to the widespread interest his twin brother garnered. Surprisingly she did not continue to prod him despite knowing that the curiosity was most probably eating her up inside, so he decided with all the embarrassment that he had put her through, he would at least make this easier for her. "Unlike my sisters, we are identical twins."

As much as she tried to temper her eagerness to learn more, her look of uninhibited awe took over before she knew it, "He looked exactly like you?"

Ichigo shook his head, "Not entirely, he is much fairer than I am, some would call him albino, but aside from that, we are mirror reflections of each other."

"And your personality?"

"What did the books write?"

Rukia leaned back into her seat having not realised she had slanted towards Ichigo, and thought seriously about her knowledge of Ichigo's twin brother. "There was never much written on Lord Hichigo, but I don't believe many took notice or cared, as terrible as it sounds, when so many were only interested in the next successor in line, which was.. is you." She spoke as though she was reciting a page from a book, "But of what little that I was able to learn about Lord Hichigo seems far from the person that you are." Turning to look at Ichigo who had already been watching her side profile, she asked, "Was he...did he.."

"Resent me for being the heir to the throne?" He intercepted indifferently, a sign to her that he was comfortable sharing the information, "Perhaps, though what he wholly resented was how old-fashioned he believed the structure of our hierarchy to be. He believed the successor should be decided by competency and not predetermined by the time of birth."

"So he believed himself more able than you?"

His brown orbs drifted from Rukia's face to the ceiling as he shook his head and settled into the cushioned seat more comfortably, "Not necessarily, but he despised that his fate had already been decided for him, and when it was decided, no one could fight against the perception that he was only second best to a brother whom he matched in every ability. I can't imagine what that could do to one's mentality."

"But you never saw him second best to you."

"I saw him as my brother, and so did he... that was until my father contracted his illness. The court immediately fell into a frenzy of talks of throne succession and I suppose it was then that words of the grapevine birthed the beginning of his segregation. Six months prior to my father's passing he disappeared."

Rukia watched on in silent admiration at Ichigo's calm composure, although she was barely fooled by it knowing well how much hurt would have also been inflicted on the young King.

"Then the rumours about his death... was it truly an accident, or did he really take his own life?" She trusted him enough to know that he would be honest and straight forth with her the moment he felt uncomfortable, so she asked on without reservations.

Confirming her thoughts, he merely shook his head, unperturbed in the slightest and answered, "Neither."

Rukia's voice dropped lower and her brows furrowed enough to form a line between her eyebrows, "What?.."

It was then that Ichigo's tone turned slightly grimmer as he directed his gaze firmly ahead of him, "There was no doubt that a fire had been lit, but he had no intention of being there for the fire to take his life."

She had heard numerous speculations surrounding the supposed death of Lord Hichigo but never had she deemed them any more than ungrounded and tasteless excuse for gossip, "You cannot be saying that he is alive."

"I would know if he was dead but that night, I felt nothing, no loss of connection, no sorrow. I am certain he is alive."

Rukia's expression contorted in confusion, "Then where is he? Why has he led everyone to believe him dead? How could he cause so much pain for your mother and father and sisters? I don't understand."

"No one does Rukia. Not even myself and I'm his twin."

Rukia looked on at his side profile with sympathy when she detected the underlying helplessness and anger in his voice, and though she had intended to offer words of comfort, his response only sparked another confronting revelation, "What do you mean 'no one does'? Who else believes him alive?"

He loathed that this line of thought was always accompanied by headaches and the sudden feeling of aging far beyond his years, "My advisors. They suspect he has formed an alliance with Aizen."

Instead of the gasp and look of horror he was expecting, Rukia's eyes merely hardened, "You don't really believe he has betrayed you do you? Even if he means to overthrow you there would be other opportunities than to align himself with Aizen."

Ichigo didn't look at her, "Mm."

At his noncommittal response, she knew they had reached the end of their discussion and contently decided to not press on in spite of the endless questions that still demanded answers. She was grateful, and silently honoured, that he had shared so much with her that the thought of breaching such trust seemed unthinkable. Falling silent, they took the quiet moment in the early afternoon to bask in the tranquillity of another fine day.

It wasn't long before Rukia remembered something important that she needed to ask Ichigo, and even though she loathed breaking their comfortable silence, she asked anyways as she never knew how much of the King's time she had. "Speaking of your advisors, have they reached an agreement regarding my training?"

She asked him every day that she saw him and every time she asked, he felt a little more guilty as he could only provide her with the same response, "At present your training will remain suspended as the decision is still divided. We will not take any risks on your life, particularly when many of them believe Aizen had a hand in this."

Rukia still couldn't quite decipher her standing on the matter, so without being emotionally affected by his response, only a little depleted for once again being kept in the dark, she asked impartially, "And you? What are your thoughts?"

"I am not inclined to believe Aizen was behind this. If he was, he would have killed you."

Thankfully before the atmosphere had the chance to turn too serious, Ichigo, in an entirely uncharacteristic manner, jolted in his seat as he quickly lifted his right leg up, in turn, making Rukia jump at the sudden movement. Quickly peering down at the unknown subject that had brushed solidly against Ichigo's leg, they both breathed out a sigh of relief when a pair of black beady eyes stared back in innocence.

"Oh it's only Berry, you gave me a fright there!" She breathed out as he blinked, lifting the rabbit into her arms.

Ichigo dismissed the spark of envy at seeing the creature cuddled against Rukia's bosom and simply pointed a long finger at the white ball of fur, "Berry? This rabbit's name is Berry?"

She nodded and proceeded to stroke his fur, "Do you not recall? He's the rabbit I caught from the outer gardens."

"No I don't remember _you_ catching any rabbit, but I do remember myself catching one in which I then handed to you." He raised an eyebrow at _Berry_.

"That may be true but I was the one who chased him into your arms."

"So you are agreeing with me that he is mine for the keeping."

"I said no such thing! I have been his carer for the entirety of the two and counting months since arriving in court, you hold no claim over Berry." She emphasized her point by holding Berry closer to her and further away from Ichigo.

"You've been in court for two months already?" He had never stopped to think how long he had known Rukia, but he did know that he couldn't imagine how he would pass his days without her presence.

She smiled, "It has been quick hasn't it? I never thought I would ever grow used to it, yet here I am."

"It has been quick," he concurred, "though it feels strangely like I have known you for far too long." He smirked.

"Yes, two months too long." She quipped back effortlessly.

Looking away and rubbing the back of his neck, a habit from his youth which proved impossible to dispose, he steadied his voice and tried to be as apathetic as possible when he asked with bated breath, "Are you happy to be here?"

She looked up at him with her large eyes and wondered if she had just imagined the pale pink hue dusting his cheeks. Quite certain she had indeed conjured it from her mind, she replied in her usual fashion, "I suppose I could never boast about living in court if my life wasn't threatened at least once." But instead of a witty retort that she was so prone to expecting from her companion, she was instead met with silence and Ichigo's expression was again, to her, unreadable.

Realising that her King was sincere with his question, her voice quickly turned somewhat melancholy, "I don't know if I am happy here," she started honestly, "it mostly feels like I merely exist inside these walls, that no one really acknowledges me - which I bear no grudge towards as I too don't know what purpose I serve here." She watched a little nervously as Ichigo's eyes seemed unwavering on her amethyst ones, "When I think of the times before we moved into palace, I'm reminded of how simple and happy those days were, and I think, what I wouldn't give to be that way again."

To that, Ichigo merely nodded and remained quiet.

"Yet oddly enough," She smiled, her voice sounded disbelieving in itself, "something just compels me to stay."

He didn't know which made him feel more alive, the relief or the jolt in his heart, "What is that something?"

"The free meals, I believe."

* * *

><p>It was late into the afternoon before Rukia was able to pull herself away from the library where she spent the remaining of the afternoon learning more about the late King. It seemed the man was a bit of a contradicting character, one that she now found herself wishing she had had the opportunity to meet. It made so much sense where Ichigo had adopted his traits and values now, and though she concluded that in many ways Ichigo seemed like the late king, Kurosaki Isshin just seemed so comical that it was hard to imagine any successful King being the way he was.<p>

Ichigo hadn't stayed long after their conversation but for the time that he had kept her company, she was content. It only belatedly occurred to her that Ichigo had entrusted in her highly restricted information, although she also belatedly realised that she also didn't have that many people to tell even if she tried, and he probably knew that too. She did however wish she had learned more of Kurosaki Hichigo, but she knew it would come in time, she at least hoped so. The man's whereabouts was still a cruel mystery to everyone concerned.

Approaching her chambers, Rukia wasn't all too surprised to see Hisana waiting for her with a book in her hand. She was immensely happy to see her sister after days of avoiding her in fear Hisana would see through her illness, so she only hoped her sister would not question her on her feigned flu.

Looking up from her book, Hisana's eyes widened in relief, "Rukia, where have you been all day?"

Gently placing Berry on a nearby chair, Rukia replied nonchalantly, "I've been in the library, I can't stay in my chambers all day, the boredom drives me mad." And then proceeded to sit on the edge of her bed facing Hisana.

Hisana fidgeted slightly in her chair before she enquired uncertainly again, "Only the library?"

Rolling her eyes in jest, accustomed to Hisana's tendency to mother her, Rukia reiterated with clarity, "Yes, only the library, why are you so concerned?"

Hisana made sure that she would tread carefully in fear she would accidentally insinuate anything that could hurt Rukia's feelings, "You are supposed to be resting from your flu and yet I have barely seen you in the past week. I am merely worried about your wellbeing." For the most part, her words were completely genuine, but nevertheless she couldn't ignore the words Senna had spoken to her many days ago, and for that, she felt immense guilt for her suspicion of Rukia.

She hoped her youngest sister could calm her of her worries and negate any misgiving Senna harboured.

"I am fine and I am sorry that I have worried you." Rukia spoke with such sincerity and fondness that Hisana found herself asking for any excuse to clear Rukia of her name.

"So, just the library..?" She simply needed confirmation that Senna had been overly sensitive and had misdirected her distrust.

Rukia spoke with laughter in her voice at Hisana's over-protectiveness, "For goodness sake! Yes Hisana, only the library, if you don't believe my words, then I am sure you will believe the words of his Highness."

Hisana instantly froze, "You were with Lord Ichigo?"

"Yes," Rukia sighed, unknowing of the mounting distress in her frail sister, "now please Hisana, enough questioning I-,"

"Why were you with the King?" Whilst her tone bore no harshness, it clearly signified a seriousness that Rukia rarely ever saw in her sister.

"No particular reason," Rukia slowly drawled out, her words laced with caution as she watched Hisana carefully, doing her best to make sense of the situation, "we were merely in the library at the same time.." She shook her head, "What is on your mind? Please Hisana, enough of this; just be straight forward with me."

When Hisana spoke, she sounded far from the frailty that most had associated her sister to, so much so that Rukia knew there would be little room to argue. "Rukia, why does Senna feel threatened by you?"

The feeling of dread slowly crept up on her. On both of them.

"What did Senna say to you?"

"Answer the question Rukia."

"I don't know why she feels that way!" She retaliated in frustration, "She feels a lot of things beyond my control, why now?"

Hisana couldn't help but feel saddened as she watched with understanding eyes at Rukia's frustrations. She had long known that her sister never needed to do much to receive Senna's spite, although this time it seemed like Rukia was beginning to tire of Senna's behaviour.

"I have seen with my own eyes how everyone that you have met has been drawn in by your charm." She tried to sooth, placing a hand atop of Rukia's equally small one. Slowly, Rukia knew what was coming, and it made her question how she ever smiled inside these walls.

Hisana decided she needed to hear no more, wanted to hear no more. She believed in Rukia... but Senna was looking for any reason to fuel on her distrust. Once again, it would simply be easier if Rukia stepped down. "And please Rukia, do not mistake my words for malice or anger." She requested earnestly.

She looked at Hisana's kind face and gradually felt like she was again dealt with disappointment. Not at Hisana, just at everything. "I know your intentions are pure, I believe it, I have always known it... but Senna does not yet realise that, so please, for Senna's sake..."

Rukia's face fell blank.

"For my sake.."

She knew Hisana only had her best interests at heart.

"Stay away from the King."

But it still hurt.

**~8~**


	14. The Bad Omen

**AN: **I'm so sorry for the long wait for this update, but rest assured that they are absolutely coming! Thank-you so much for your patience and the always incredibly encouraging words. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

**The Bad Omen**

**~8~**

Rukia would be fooling no one had she said that the Lords atop their horses did little to intimidate her, so it was to her greatest relief when she watched Grimmjow pull back from the men to ride alongside her. For the hour that the men had set out hunting, Rukia had barely spoken a word to anyone, only throwing discreet glances at Ichigo's back any chance she had, but with the presence of both Senna and Hisana bearing down on her, the opportunities seldom arose. Sighing, she wondered for the umpteenth time how Yoruichi had swayed her to join, particularly when she had spent the good portion of the hour embarrassing herself when her lack of control of her horse made it clear to everyone that she had never ridden before. Nevertheless, she couldn't deny how beautiful of a day it was, and how nice it was to be around people other than her sisters and Ichigo.

The thought of her time spent with Ichigo brought the usual wave of guilt as she glanced at Hisana's back from where she rode merrily next to Senna and her maid. She had never intentionally meant to defy her sister's plea, but before she realised it, two months had passed since Hisana had made her request to which she had found impossible to adhere to. She loathed thinking about it for the secrets and lies that had sprouted between them now seemed endless in a relationship that was built on unshakable trust, but she simply could not find herself selfless enough to stay away from the one person that made her happy. Looking at Senna, who was laughing politely behind a closed fist at something Hisana had said, Rukia again couldn't deny how picture perfect her sister was... and perhaps, how picture perfect Ichigo and Senna would be as King and Queen.

Breaking through her train of thoughts, a large hand suddenly appeared before her as a strong fist reined her horse from again steering off to the side.

"Woman, watch where you are going."

Grimmjow's words only made her want to cower further in shame, especially when she noticed Ichigo was paying no more attention to what his advisors were saying, and was instead glancing over his shoulder at her and her new companion. Riding directly behind Ichigo was of course her sisters, which meant Rukia was quite a distance away from him, but even the distance did little to hinder her detection of the King's sudden terse expression.

"Why do you bother when you cannot even ride?" Grimmjow asked with no attempt to avoid hurting her feelings, a bluntness she found oddly comforting.

"I was invited by Yoruichi." She countered, clutching desperately to her fine thread of dignity which conversely only made her sound like a child and slightly pathetic.

Grimmjow must have realised it too for a chuckle escaped him as he teased, "Well I was invited by the King. So I suppose that makes my being here of greater importance."

Rukia rolled her eyes to herself, "You are a man and a General at that, I am sure you did not need an invitation from his Grace to realise your value against mine."

"You would think that wouldn't you?" He smirked, his eyes revealing to her that she had not imagined the double meaning behind his words.

She tried to look disinterested but knew her attempts were in vain in front of the ever-knowing General, "And what do you mean by that?" She looked away, trying to sound as aloof as her strained voice would allow.

When she shot him a side-long glance, Rukia internally noted how masculine Grimmjow looked as he rode his horse with no effort, as though it was as natural as it were to walk, when she on the other hand could barely even sit comfortably.

With his back straight and eyes trained ahead, taking in the rarity of this moment of friends gathered, he replied, "Well you would think that there should be no comparison between a life-long friend now trusted General of his Kingdom, and a girl whom he has only come to know for four months." As much as his tone was as indifferent as it usually was, she knew without doubt the rare hint of suggestiveness behind his words.

Successfully preventing a blush to spread from cheek to neck, Rukia easily brushed off his words despite the sudden rise in her heartbeat. "I do not know what you speak of, and what you speak of makes little sense."

"Of course." He smiled knowingly, sparing her a quick look to make sure her horse hadn't upheaved her from its back, "So pray tell, have you succumbed to court life gossip yet?" And without missing a beat and speaking whatever registered in his mind, he asked in genuine curiosity, "And shouldn't you be growing, you are still just as small."

"I _have_ grown." She gritted through clenched teeth, her once large beautiful eyes no more than mere slits. "And no I have not yet resorted to the likes of the Courtesans."

"I see." He seemed to dwell on her response, for what reason Rukia did not know, but when he spoke again, his tone had lost its playful edge, "You may want to make the most of the freedom you have now. The time when it will end may be sooner than you think."

She didn't respond to this as a million possibilities filtered through her mind, none being an optimistic prospect. Predictably, Grimmjow halted all thoughts before she got too carried away as he steered the conversation back to a lighter note.

"So." He said, smirking to himself as he counted the third time Ichigo had turned his head in their direction since his companionship, "Not yet corrupted by Court hay? I s'pose then that you have not heard of the rumour about yourself?" The General wondered whether it was just his over-observation, or had Ichigo in fact slowed down his riding? And when Grimmjow noticed that the King was no longer leading the group as customary, he wanted to laugh as his theory was confirmed.

"There is a rumour about me?" Rukia's face lit up in unsuppressed curiosity, even slight fascination that anyone would even bother mentioning her name. At best she was always known as Senna's sister.

"Not just you, it concerns myself also. The rumour that you have grieved our time together in training." The smile he offered her made countless women weak at the knees, but it only served to unnerve Rukia.

"No such thing!" She hadn't even realised that she had jumped as she declared her innocence, but her sudden reaction resulted in alarming her already unpredictable horse that had Grimmjow not reached for the reins in time, the beautiful stallion would have taken off with speed.

"Easy." Grimmjow laughed unabashedly, fast to steady her horse from a sudden sprint, "I was merely speaking in jest, but your reaction has me wondering otherwise."

Grimmjow didn't know what humoured him more; his provocation in the young girl or watching the challenge it was for Ichigo to keep his distance. His laugh had Ichigo forsaking any subtlety as the King had turned to look at them so quickly that Grimmjow found himself with a larger audience than he had hoped for.

"Grimmjow, my sincerest apologies for interrupting your courtship, but perhaps you may wish to partake in the hunting?" Kyouraku, one of the most trusted and longstanding advisors amongst the men, suggested smoothly albeit impishly as he rose a good-natured eyebrow at the teal-haired man.

"Leave him be." Shuuhei interrupted apathetically, "He has all his days to hunt, but his prospect of marriage however is fast passing him by." His indifferent demeanour could have fooled a bystander into thinking that he was merely commenting on the weather and not in fact insulting one of the most feared men in the Kingdom.

Urahara, who had been riding next to his wife and speaking relentlessly for the past hour could not find it in himself to hold back from his own input, "You have obviously never had the misfortune of stumbling across his bed chambers in the early hours of dawn."

"No, and I am still counting my blessings." Shuuhei quipped back easily; sincerely relieved he had not come across such misfortune.

"Quite right Shuuhei," Grimmjow shrugged unfazed and still riding next to Rukia, much to Ichigo's agitation, "you wouldn't know what to do with all that woman."

Kyouraku and Urahara, two typically joyful men, did not hold back from their loud cackling as Senna and Hisana, though surprised by the nature of the conversation, couldn't hide their amusement at the back and forth jabs. One individual however, found neither humour nor amusement in the conversation, and instead continued to ride in silence as the jealousy steadfastly mounted. Ichigo was glad that most was only able to see his back, save for Kyouraku who rode alongside him, for he was fast losing his hold over his envy of the General's freedom to act as he pleased, and he himself could not. He failed to acknowledge that despite his trust in both Rukia and his friend, that the two had inevitably developed a friendship, one he childishly wished hadn't come to fruition.

"If I may remind you gentlemen that you are in the presence of fair maidens." Yoruichi rolled her eyes as she watched the men, revered and influential, regress to the likes of young girls.

"Yes, but all soon to be family." Her selectively wise husband offered, to which the exotic beauty could only again roll her eyes.

"How about it lady Rukia? Why not consider Grimmjow, he is certainly dashing for those with acquired tastes." Kyouraku called over his shoulder and thus missing how tense and rigid the King had suddenly become from his proposal.

"I could have any woman under the sun." Grimmjow asserted his pride for safekeeping, though he was far from falling for their bait. He was however, amused at the uncharacteristically silent King who, on any other occasion, would have easily and happily joined in on the jabs.

"That is for lady Rukia to decide." Another selectively wise advisor spoke up; though it did impress Grimmjow how long it had taken Shinji to say something. The man was typically the one, much like Urahara and Kyouraku, to fuel on the repartee.

"Imagine that, the elder sister wedded to the King, and the youngest wedded to the General. Not bad." Whilst the words were somewhat spoken to himself, most were able to hear Kyouraku's thoughts, particularly the man riding next to him whose hands immediately gripped the reins far too harshly as he felt a discomfort in his chest too painful to dismiss.

Once Shinji was part of any banters, there was certainly no way he would leave it alone, "Perhaps we should part ways with you and the lady, what do you say General?" He offered with an accompaniment of a waggle of his eyebrows that almost had Yoruichi reaching over and slapping him over the head.

"I say you are threatened by my presence with women. Rightfully so." To faze Grimmjow was a task only accomplished by the rarest, and whilst one of those rarest was amongst the group, Ichigo felt no desire to contribute.

"Here here!" Urahara laughed, "Even if Grimmjow was a wedded man, he would very likely still draw more women than you Shinji."

Shinji shot Urahara a death glare only to be overlooked and ignored as he proceeded to mumble underneath his breath how it was only a stroke of luck that Urahara had managed someone like Yoruichi.

"What do you say my Lord, will you grant the two your blessings?" The eldest of the advisors asked with mirth.

Unfortunately that had been the last straw for Ichigo as he replied with a seriousness and abruptness that rendered everyone silent and somewhat shocked, "Absolutely not!" Immediately realising his slip of facade, he quickly amended, "I bear no grudge towards the lady to befall upon her such a wretched fate." Though he was able to fabricate his words with underlying mirth, it took every effort in him to speak so offhandedly about something that made his heart feel like it was being crushed just by the mere thought of it all.

At least he was able to fool most of them... but Rukia had yet to tear her gaze from his back. For the briefest of moments, she wished it was she who was riding alongside him.

"Ahh quite true. I am afraid you are to remain a free man for the rest of your days General." Kyouraku laughed.

"Happily so."

Riding with no real intent to hunt, Urahara stared off into the beautiful scenery as the words escaped him before he had any time to assess the repercussions of his thoughts, "Mm. Good wholesome women are rare to come across these days."

The men unanimously choked back a laugh knowing well the temperament of his wife, and when she turned her head slowly with a look that promised of many cold lonely nights ahead for Urahara, the men almost felt sorry for the genius, "I hadn't realised you were still looking Kisuke."

"Are you saying good women in general or good women for Grimmjow?" Shinji asked.

"There is no such thing as _one_ good woman for Grimmjow." Ichigo responded with a roll of his eyes, no ill-intent or malice in his words, just a fact he had come to learn over his years of friendship with the man.

"I agree." Kyouraku concurred, honestly enjoying the topic of women more than most other things, "So what is a good wholesome woman to his Grace? And I don't mean for you to go on naming lady Senna's traits."

Senna immediately felt a blush cover her cheeks when all Rukia could do was bite her bottom lip from how jarring she found those words to be. She definitely did not want to realise how much it hurt to even hear their names together in the same sentence.

Ichigo on the other hand held back from outwardly sighing and prayed to the Gods for a distraction...but his prayers went by unheard as no sign of animal appeared before them for them to participate in what they had initially come out for, hunting. It didn't help that his unrelenting headache over the past two days had only grown to intensify, and with the sun bearing down on him, he simply did not have it in him to contest his men. So he responded half-heartedly, hoping his response would satisfy their curiosity. "A kind woman."

The silence that came afterwards felt so loud that Ichigo knew he had done little to satiate their interests. He hoped that perhaps if he kept silent for long enough, his men would just dismiss the subject entirely, but alas, judging by the transpiring of the day so far, he knew that luck was not on his side today. Ichigo could just _feel_ the way his advisors were looking at him.

The first to break the uncomfortable silence was none other than Shinji, "He is the man all Courtesans fight over?"

"I believe being a King might play a small part." Kyouraku dismissed cheekily.

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo said the first honest thing that came to mind, "A woman with an opinion then." Any hope for a tranquil moment to calm his headache now seemed futile.

For whatever reason, Rukia felt a jolt spike through her at Ichigo's words, only to quickly set aside the notion that he had been referring to her.

"Ooh, I'm not sure about that." Shinji pondered earnestly.

Shuuhei didn't even bother to glance at Shinji as he spoke, but his deadpanned tone spoke volume of his thoughts of the man, "And that is why you remain backwards and lonely."

"Intelligent women are my weakness." Urahara quickly added, hoping to get back onto his wife's good side, only to prove ineffective when all that he accomplished was an impassive look in return.

"But what does the King value? What personally captures the Lord's attention?" If Kyouraku wasn't one of his most valued right hand men, Ichigo would not have hesitated in sending the brilliant mind into exile, but as it were, not only was he gifted with experience and wholly trustworthy, Ichigo had also respected him as a child.

So he took a calming breath and thought over his words, yet regardless of his attempt to respond as ambiguously as possible, he was only able to register the one answer, the one face, in his mind. Whilst hoping that no one would be able to distinguish his words properly, he knew his words couldn't be more specific to understanding ears. Deep down he had always wanted her to know.

He looked over his shoulder; this time making sure his eyes captured her amethyst ones but discreetly enough so that the rest would only think he was glancing at them as a group, he spoke honestly, hoping his words would reach her.

"...A woman who loves animals."

In that moment, the men again broke into laughter as Ichigo vaguely heard some of them accuse him of how obvious it was that he was referring to his fiancée for her beautiful grace and handle over her mare. Even Senna was too caught up in the moment to realise what he had truly meant for she could not contain the smile that broke out across her features.

Ichigo could not remember a time where he had wanted something more than his current desire to turn around and sought out Rukia's reaction in that moment. He swallowed, hoping to ease the drumming of his heartbeat and the pounding of his head. He didn't know where the bravery and courage came from to inadvertently declare to Rukia an inkling of his feelings, but after the recent two months spent with her, he knew he was slowly losing control over his desire for her. Had she known of the moments he had seen nothing but her lips, or the thoughts he had harboured for her every night, he was sure she would be left blushing and running as far away from him as possible. Still, in his heart, he knew this self-denial was much like fighting a losing battle, only this time, he was content to surrender, and surrendering he was.

He gripped his reins, desperate to risk a glance at the small girl who had him completely enraptured, and yet a part of him feared seeing something he did not want to see. Perhaps she had not understood, or worse, did not reciprocate his feelings. Closing his eyes momentarily to clear the black spots dancing in his vision, he calmed his heartbeat and assured himself that her smiles for him were all very real, the ease she felt around him was all apparent... even the guilt. She thought she had him fooled, but he saw how torn she was being with him, yet his overwhelming need to be with her prevented him from doing the right thing, and that was, as an engaged man, to stay away from his fiancee's sister. So he had pretended to take no notice and they had both continued on closed off to the rest of the world.

He understood her guilt all too well, he too felt horrible, and if it was within his power, he would do anything to make sure no one would get hurt in this crossfire... but that was a fantasy too unrealistic to ever dwell on. So all he knew was that if ever came the day where he would have to spare anyone from heartache, in spite of everything else, in spite of whether it was deemed right or wrong, it would be Rukia he would protect.

Rukia found it almost impossible to tear her eyes away from Ichigo's broad back as he carried himself like the King that he was, nor could she believe Ichigo's declaration. All at once their first meeting came rushing back to her, from when he had handed Berry over to her to when she had mistook him to be a garden boy. She felt numb all over and could no longer hear anything aside from the slow inhale and exhale of her own breathing. Her thoughts were at a complete halt and only the image of Ichigo's handsome features deeply imprinted in her mind registered to her in her stupor.

For too long she had repressed any thoughts that had questioned her genuine relationship with Ichigo, too long she had ignored her own needs for those of her sister's, too long she had wondered what it would feel like to rest against his broad sturdy chest and drift off to sleep to the sound of his heartbeat. She never dared to wonder when she had started to resent Senna, or how she had come to defy Hisana, but before she realised it, she had done it all for the one person. The one person who was entirely forbidden to her, yet the one whom she had risked so much for. Deep down, she knew there was nothing innocent about all of this, and though the guilt was consuming at times, the presence of Ichigo assured her that it would always be worth it.

Slowly she urged her horse to pick up pace as her need to be close to Ichigo was begging to be satiated. She had almost passed Hisana when Hisana threw her a curious look, knowing well that her eldest sister was being overly cautious before Senna's ever observant eyes, but Rukia paid no heed.

And then, an unexplainable feeling of dread washed over her. A chill so awful it almost rendered Rukia motionless. In mere moments, she watched the back of Ichigo sway.

And with horrified eyes, she watched the King fall from his horse.

A fear engulfed her as Ichigo, a pillar of strength to her, now lay limp against the grass. And though it was clear that he was still conscious as he attempted to lift himself up, in his weakened state, he did not manage.

Immediately her thoughts went rushing to the headache he had mentioned to her but had been too carelessly dismissive of. She had chastised him to rest, but he had only teased her about being worried, effectively ceasing further talk of his exhausted state. Now she could only reprimand herself for not being firm enough with her stance. Quick and desperate to be by his side, Rukia made a move to slide off her horse before her actions were halted midway when her sister's voice broke through.

"My Lord!" Senna cried out in sincere concern as she gracefully slid from her saddle and ran to Ichigo.

Rukia watched on in a heartbreaking daze as Senna lifted Ichigo's head onto her lap and against her chest before his kind brown orbs blinked open. She barely registered the rushed footsteps hurrying towards the King as his advisors were quick to make sure that Ichigo was unhurt. It seemed Ichigo was quite alright as he reassured everyone gathered around him that it was merely exhaustion that had overwhelmed him, but Senna was reluctant to relinquish her hold over him.

Suddenly Rukia's dream had all but dissipated into thin air as she stared blankly at the scene unfolding before her. Just like that, the spell had come undone. Numb again, this time for an entirely different reason, a reason that was tearing her up inside, she watched on in understanding of her predicament and understood at once that she did not have the power to tamper with fate. Just the thought of wanting to be close to Ichigo brought upon the worst kind of omen all Kings feared... the King fell from his horse the moment she tried to near him. Her chest squeezed painfully.

Rukia felt like she was choking as a surge of unwanted emotions overtook her entire being. She had never felt pain so excruciating before. Nothing in her young years could compare to such awfulness. Her heart was breaking into pieces, or perhaps something had pierced it, whatever it was, she was quite certain nothing could ever make this feeling stop.

As she sat frozen atop her horse, very much alone as she vaguely realised Grimmjow was no longer next to her, she could see that Senna's tears of worry were real and her concern completely sincere as she clutched desperately to the man she was destined and sanctioned to love. And Ichigo, his gentle comforting words to ease her worries were perfectly fitting for the scene. Their faces were so close that Rukia couldn't help but think how typically fitting for a heartfelt kiss at that exact moment... as it should be. That was the customary ending to any good play.

Senna truly loved Ichigo.

This was how it was meant to be, Senna rightfully by Ichigo's side. No matter how desperately she wanted to claw her way through to him, the invisible barriers of fate were set in stone and forever unyielding. It would never come to be.

And then Hisana's words resonated within her very soul.

"_Stay away from the King."_

This time, she was truly hearing them.

**~8~**

Standing off to the side, knowing her place and keeping silent in her emotional torment, another lone heart broke.

But as the heartache intensified, so did the hatred.

Staring at Senna as the love of her life was clutched in another's arms, Inoue felt darkness clouding her heart.

**~8~**


	15. Cruelty of Revelations

**Chapter 14**

**Cruelty of Revelations**

**~8~**

Lining the walls of the small majestic cabinet, a room to which served as Ichigo's study and sanctuary, were countless books and priceless artefacts all lined atop gold encrusted cherry wood shelves. The deep rich colours of maroon and gold appeared to create the warm ambience the young King continually found himself retreating to for moments of clarity and privacy, two elements that were increasingly elusive as his days went on as the ruler of his people. Reclining into the velvet cushions of his chair, a comfort he doubted he would ever tire of, Ichigo tried to be understanding of Senna's concerns but only managed to find himself feeling stifled by her continued guard over him. He had appreciated her efforts for the first two days or so after his embarrassing mishap during their hunt, but when his words of reassurance did little to pacify the worry in her, Ichigo did not know what else to do, and simply conceded to her care.

As he turned through the papers spread across his oak wood table, only vaguely noting that Senna had moved on from her sewing to reading, he couldn't help the irritation growing in him having not seen Rukia for the past four days under Senna's watchful guard. Again, he tried to remind himself that his fiancée was merely doing this for his own wellbeing, but the thought of having to go through another day without so much as a word to Rukia dampened his mood. Glancing up at the pristine image of perfection sitting near the corner by the fireplace, Ichigo understood the beauty that Senna was and admitted internally that any man would be lucky to have her. Yet as he sat in her presence, he found himself relating Senna to the finest drawing of fire, and Rukia to fire itself. One was perfect and flawless with prestige; the other was unpredictable, dangerous and could do what the former could not, evoke a feeling.

Ichigo could not fault Senna on anything, not her behaviour, her appearance or her mannerisms. Of course, unable to fault Senna on her outward demeanour was also a flaw in itself, one that had Ichigo questioning whether that was the reason he found no spark in the girl. She was exactly as what books portrayed of the female gender, and Rukia was many things that contradicted the conventional, so much so that he could just picture Rukia's face contorting in disgust at the idea of it. He almost laughed at the mental imagery but Senna had looked at him meekly from behind her book and so was quick to diminish any thoughts of the younger sister as he felt the tell-tale guilt creeping in on him. Of course, the perfection that Senna exuded to the public was the same perfection shown to Ichigo, which explained why their relationship had failed to progress, always caught in the awkward stage with no room to grow comfortable with each other. But internally, Ichigo knew that if he had given the same amount of time and nurture he had given Rukia that perhaps his relationship with Senna may have had a chance to blossom.

In the beginning, he had agreed to this marriage to see his mother smile again and to bring stability to a Kingdom under a growing paranoia of disarray after the passing of the powerful Kurosaki Isshin. But now as he looked back, he could not decipher whether it was a decision he regretted. True, he may no longer remain impartial to the marriage, but without this engagement, he would have never met Rukia. And yet even now that he had met her, what could he do? Could he really dishonour Senna so much when she had been nothing but everything asked of her? Could love really make even the kindest man so cruel? Perhaps they had their timing wrong. Maybe if he had met Senna under different circumstances, Senna too would have him enraptured the way her younger sister had. Maybe if he hadn't met Rukia on the day that he did, Senna and his relationship would be very different today. Intimate even.

But unfortunately, that would be something forever unknown to him for he knew his heart held no more room for anyone else.

A gentle tapping against the small table beside his fiancée informed him that she had placed her book down. Looking up from his papers with a quiet hope that she was finally relenting in her watchful guard, he waited for her to say something.

"My Lord, look, the sun is setting. May we go for a walk before nightfall?" She asked with hopeful eyes, but her question only served to remind Ichigo that another day was passing him by without the company of Rukia.

With a mixture of guilt and concealed disappointment Ichigo replied apologetically, "There is much I need to tend to, but please don't let me be the reason to hold you back from doing what you please. You have been so accommodating already." He regarded her with a careful gaze, cautious of the interpretations denoted by his gentle persuasion.

Senna was good at masking the disappointment, but Ichigo could tell by the slight slump of her shoulders that she was internally displeased. "It is my duty as your fiancée, it is no chore." But still the smile she offered him, and reserved only for him, remained charismatic and soft.

"Yes, but your duty does not require you to forfeit your every moment to be with me." He reasoned, sincerely guilty for the amount of attention she was showering him when he in return could only worry himself over how Rukia was construing his absence.

He remembered all too well the haunted look that ghosted her features before she had quickly avoided his gaze when Grimmjow had pulled him to stand after his fall. As much as he had kept his eyes on her, she had made certain that her vision strayed anywhere but on him, effectively ceasing his silent reassurance to her that he was fine. But now in hindsight, he wondered whether it was in fact she who needed the reassurance more than he did, after all, he was keenly aware of how intimate he and Senna seemed, so he could only assume how Rukia had interpreted the moment. The thought of the younger sister misconstruing the situation made Ichigo all the more anxious to see the girl.

"You place everyone's wellbeing before your own, I am merely seeing to it that your health will not be compromised a second time." Her tone told him that she was truly attentive to his needs, only the slight sharper quality of her words made it sound like she was placing blame on everyone else.

"That is very thoughtful of you Senna, but I'm fine, I promise you." He held back the sigh that threatened to accompany his words, again feeling at a loss on how to convince his overprotective fiancée that her continued presence made no difference to the political matters that required his attention. Whether she was there or not, the work that demanded his focus remained the same.

"Does it displease you so to have my presence upon you?"

Something about the way she spoke or the look she gave him made him internally twitch in agitation. He had never quite held a liking to women who deliberately fished for reassurance or compliments and he knew he had been completely careful to not implicate what she was suggesting, so for Senna to resort to such tactic annoyed him.

"I said no such thing, so please do not make this more complicated than it needs to be." He hadn't meant for his words to come out so strict, but he found his patience fast running thin when it seemed his words were continually discarded.

However, one glance at his crestfallen fiancée made his heart soften, a weakness he had acquired from having a doting mother and two younger sisters.

So with a gentler tone, he tried again, only this time he simply did not have the energy to completely hide how tiresome he thought this matter to be, "All I am saying is that you cannot keep this up for much longer, much of the Kingdom's affairs are conducted in private and so your attempts in the future will be futile."

Senna was after all a book smart woman and intelligent for her age, so when she saw that her husband-to-be was giving her a more appropriate leeway to step down, she took the opportunity and decided to not press on further.

Doing her best to create a lighter note to their conversation, eager for a more personal level of connecting, she smiled and offered a very subtle flirtatious edge to her voice. "Can I not care for my own fiancé?" The glimmer of mischief in her eyes told him she was just trying to be playful.

Ichigo merely smiled, understanding of her efforts, "You can."

She too smiled, and then asked in seriousness and hope, "My Lord, you have missed your last two fittings for the wedding, will you make it tomorrow?"

The thought of his marriage never failed to feel like cold water poured over his head. Till this day he could never admit whether he had purposefully missed his fittings or had he truly just been so preoccupied. With no intent to lie, and no purpose to promise, he replied with strain, "I'll try my best."

She nodded and smiled. For now, it would be enough. She was willing to be as patient for her King for as long as he needed her to be. "The wedding preparations are coming along smoothly. Perhaps when you can spare some time, you may wish to look over the planning?"

For a moment, the room fell silent. Ichigo simply could not find it in himself to lie so blatantly to her face, but the idea of his impending wedding felt truly stifling. Yet what could he say that wouldn't in one moment shatter all the hope across Senna's face. He also did not have the heart to do that, and thankfully he didn't need to when two solid knocks on the door turned both of their attention in the same direction.

Thankful for the distraction, Ichigo shuffled through his papers as he responded with a sturdy, "Enter."

Ishida opened the door and bowed whilst addressing both the King and Senna before informing Ichigo, "Your highness, chief advisor Lord Ukitake is here to see you."

Ichigo nodded before looking up at Senna and spoke in a tone that left no room for debate. "I'm sorry Senna, you will have to excuse us."

She was wise enough to know not to stand between Ichigo and his duties and so with elegance and grace, she stood from her chair, bowed and excused herself, but not before asking a final time, "I will see you tomorrow at the fitting?"

Ichigo merely offered her a kind smile, in a silent way, it was a yes, and so with uplifted spirits she finally left Ichigo to his privacy.

As she walked past Ukitake, the chief advisor tipped his head and offered his usual carefree smile before he stepped into the cabinet and closed the door behind him. As he made a move to bow to the King, Ichigo was quick to interrupt his greeting and instead ushered him to take a seat.

Ukitake simply laughed, "One of these days you will have to let me bow to you."

"One of these days." Ichigo concurred half-heartedly with no real intent of Ukitake treating him like the royal highness that he was even if he had ascended to the throne.

As a younger boy, he had been nothing less of a cry baby, so when Isshin or Masaki became too tiresome to find, seven year old Ichigo would be left with either his Godparents or his mentor to seek sympathy from on occasions where Ishida had outsmarted him or Grimmjow had played too rough with him. Yoruichi's typical response would always be a loud cackle before ruffling his hair and telling him that someday this would all make him into a man. Ichigo never understood what she meant but it was not the comfort he was after so he would continue his search for either Urahara or Ukitake. His godfather was not any better, with two pats on the head, Urahara would attempt to distract Ichigo from his misery with incessant ramblings of everything Ichigo could not understand.

Bored and still lacking the sympathetic cooing, Ichigo would search out Ukitake, and when Ichigo did find his mentor, he would remember drowning himself in a table of sweets as the handsome young Ukitake would empathise with the unjust that Ichigo had been put through.

In his mind, Ichigo still felt like a child in Ukitake's presence, and with the respect and admiration he held for this man, Ichigo never felt quite right watching his mentor bow to him. So in moments of privacy, Ichigo would happily bypass all formalities.

Leaning back and stretching out his tense muscles, Ichigo quickly felt the tension leave his body, "Does it ever become easy?" Ichigo asked, referring to his duty as a King.

Ukitake shrugged. Sometimes the man possessed such child-like innocence it was hard to remember how unearthly brilliant his mind worked. "I suppose if your father managed, then it should be quite simple for you."

Ichigo laughed, "True. So to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?" He asked, sitting back lazily into his chair.

"I came to make sure your highness was not falling off his chair." This was accompanied with a prolonged laugh as though it was the funniest thing Ukitake had ever heard and Ichigo couldn't help but note how innocent his humour was compared to the likes of the man's best friend Kyouraku.

"I take it that you've heard then."

"Yes." He chuckled, "Kyouraku, Urahara, Yoruichi and thrice from Shinji."

"Excellent." Ichigo responded monotonously, "And how outrageous were Shinji's rendition of the occurrence?"

"Did he almost catch you in time?"

"I doubt that."

"Quite outrageous then."

Ichigo shook his head but it wasn't long before he found himself chuckling with Ukitake.

Looking at Ichigo from above the brim of his teacup as he savoured the rich aroma of the tea Ishida had left for them, Ukitake mentioned, "I take it that you have not warmed to the Lady yet?"

Ichigo barely moved when he answered, not in the slightest surprised by the observation. "No, not quite." He knew what his mentor's response would be, but he asked anyways as though hearing his thoughts confirmed would ease his conscience a little, "Is it really so obvious?"

Taking another sip of his tea, he nodded simply, "To those who know you, yes."

Ichigo breathed deeply as though finally realising. "I don't love her." The admission did not come easy, but in front of Ukitake, Ichigo knew his confession would be wholly accepted without judgement, "I doubt I ever will."

In typical Ukitake fashion, the man simply stated airily, "Well, that is quite a problem isn't it? So who has captured the Lord's heart?"

"Why do you say that?" Ichigo asked as his curiosity was piqued. He did not mention that Ukitake's lack of reaction to his confession somehow made him feel like his worries now seemed slightly less problematic, a trait he so appreciated from his mentor.

"One does not know with certainty that he cannot love a woman unless he already holds feelings for another."

Ichigo smirked, "Always the wise one, or are you certain you have not spoken to my godfather?" He raised a knowing eyebrow knowing his mentor played confidante to anyone he ever came across. There was just a likability and trustworthiness that Ukitake Juushiro had that no one else could ever imitate.

Ukitake sipped his tea inconspicuously, "I may have."

"Of course." Ichigo rolled his eyes, smirk still in place, "Remind me to never give Urahara the benefit of the doubt."

"Duly noted."

Scratching his forehead in thought, Ichigo realised there was no better person to ask than the man before him. So after a moment of silence, he ventured for the answer he had longed to find out for what seemed like a small eternity, "So what do you suppose I do?"

Ukitake's answers regarding private matters were always immediate as he never bothered to pretty his words. He trusted his heart enough to speak honestly and seldom found a reason to offer advice if it wasn't completely genuine. "As your advisor I would say do what you know is best for your Kingdom, and this marriage will undoubtedly solidify the people." Ichigo nodded and refrained from showing the disappointment that washed over him.

Except his mentor hadn't finished, "But as Juushiro, I would advise you follow your heart."

Ichigo laughed, feeling that flicker of hope spark within him again even though Ukitake's advice seemed more cryptic than he preferred, "And whom do I take counsel from?"

Ukitake smiled with him, responding to the deeper hidden meaning behind the young King's language with equally obscure words of his own, "I am sure there are other ways to solidify the people."

Ichigo smiled, feeling the weight of the world lessen and the burden atop his shoulders dissipate.

"Speaking of solidifying the people," Ukitake added as an afterthought, "we have our own arriving home in coming days." His enthusiasm was so infectious that Ichigo found himself feeling the excitement as well.

"Ah yes, a feast is to be prepared for her arrival. How a year comes and goes."

"I am sure a certain someone will be very pleased to know she will be home." Ukitake smiled.

Ichigo nodded, knowing well whom Ukitake was speaking of.

Straightening his back, Ichigo decided it was time to hear the verdict. He had known the moment Ukitake walked in the very reason why he was here. They had been close to reaching an outcome days prior to the hunting, and in his absence in the last four days, he could only assume much thought had been further considered. So it was to be expected that his chief advisor would be the one bearing the information.

"You have not come today to simply advise me on matters of the heart. You all have reached a decision haven't you?" Ichigo was prepared. His instincts knew what the verdict was.

"Yes."

With determined eyes, Ichigo readied himself, "I wish to hear it."

As though the carefree man sitting across from him moments ago was merely a figment of his imagination, Ichigo watched as Ukitake now sat before him as his chief advisor. "Tanaka Rukia's training will resume."

He just knew.

* * *

><p>Night had well and truly set in and most had retired for the evening, with the exception of one person who now found herself running aimlessly through the empty hallways. The loud echoes of her footsteps did not register in her chaotic heart as she desperately pleaded to find Ichigo. Angry, alone and hurt, Rukia simply pushed herself to run faster, hoping to expend her energy physically so as to drown out the emotional turmoil that only seemed to heighten in her already crumbling world. Frustration clawed at her heart as she wondered where Ichigo was. She knew it wasn't his fault that he was nowhere in sight for she had done well in avoiding him ever since their hunt, but tonight she needed him more than she could imagine. Momentarily forgetting her own promise to stay away from the King, she now found herself praying to find him.<p>

Today had been the first of the past four days to offer her any glimmer of hope. She had found out from Yoruichi that her training would recommence, meaning she again served a purpose behind these castle walls instead of passing each day with its mundane acts of court life. But it hadn't been long before a sudden revelation threatened to break her completely.

Turning a sharp corner, her throat now sore from the rush of cold wind and harsh inhalations, she ignored the occasional odd looks thrown at her as she sprinted through court yards, hallways and stairs. She was completely directionless, her mind nothing but a jumbled mess, but still she found herself running as though her life depended on it.

Rounding another corner, this time colliding with severe force against another body, Rukia was almost completely pushed back had it not been for the quick reflexes of the man before her as he pulled her from the forearm and steadied her by the shoulder. Her trance-like state finally at a halt.

"Jesus little girl!"

That voice. She knew that voice.

Looking up with vacant eyes, her face void of emotions and pale from shock, strong ocean eyes looked back at her in recognition.

"Rukia?" It was Grimmjow.

She did not respond and only continued to stare at him.

"What business do you have running around at this hour and dressed like that? You'll catch your death out here silly girl." He chastised roughly, and without thinking, shrugged off his outer coat and draped the heavy material over Rukia.

It barely registered to her, but the feeling of comfort was starting to seep through as she watched Grimmjow frown at her in slight confusion and concern. Slowly the adrenaline that had been coursing throwing her entire body ebbed away and gradually, she was waking to the moment as all the energy and urgency to find Ichigo had all but diminished. At once, she felt an exhaustion so dominant she found herself eager to close her eyes and drift off into a black abyss of peaceful oblivion.

Noting at once that Rukia was not herself, so much so that Grimmjow wondered vaguely in the dim lighting whether this was in fact the middle sister had it not been for the distinct violet eyes, he asked in such a seriousness that on any other occasion would've moved Rukia. "What's wrong?"

She managed to shake her head numbly amidst the large coat that not only draped the ground but also completely drowned her out.

"Did someone hurt you?" His hands around her shoulders were gentle, but the look on his face was dangerous and lethal, promising repercussions that would make even the strongest man regret their actions if his theory was indeed true.

"No." It surprised her how steady her voice was considering the chaos that was inside. She simply could not utter the horrid words. Playing it over in her mind was confronting enough, speaking it out loud for another to hear would make it all too real.

Grimmjow regarded her silently and decided to not push forward. For the time being, she seemed unharmed...physically, so he would leave the matter for now.

"I'll walk you back to your chambers." He offered, prompting her to turn around without dispute.

As he was about to let his arm slip from around her shoulders, he felt the slight tremble that shook her, so he left it there subconsciously hoping it could offer her temporary solace if anything. For some reason, he found himself growing angry at whatever had caused the small girl this kind of turmoil.

As they made their way in eerie silence back to Rukia's chambers, said girl distantly realised how far she had run when the slow walk seemed to stretch on forever. Perhaps it only felt so long because at once she was again confronting the transpiring of her evening in the silence that settled between her and Grimmjow. She hated this quietness for the mind would not stop replaying to her the dreadful revelation that now left her alone and utterly hopeless.

When did it all become like this?

Why could she have not stayed in the safety of her blissful oblivion?

It wasn't as though she had actively sought out the culprit responsible for her poisoning, so why did the answer come looking for her?

Nearing her chambers, she instinctively removed the large coat from around her shoulders and with a nod, handed it back to the watchful Grimmjow. With no words spoken between the two, the General merely saw to it that Rukia retired for the evening before she got in harm's way, and as Rukia silently slipped through the doorway, he bid her a quiet 'goodnight' before he stared at the closed door in concern.

On the other side, Rukia merely crawled into her bed unfeeling to the coldness of her sheets. She listened to the quiet eeriness of the night as her heartbeat drummed dully in her ears. Although drained and exhausted, she knew slumber would never come for her tonight. So as she stared wide eyed at her ceiling awaiting the beginning of many sleepless nights ahead of her, she wondered... of all people... why did it have to be Hisana?

**~8~**


	16. Words of Riddles

**AN: **Thank-you so so much to everyone who continues to support TKM! I love writing, but you guys make it so rewarding for me. Sorry this took so long to come, it wasn't supposed to be this late but I've been sick for the past 2 weeks and have only just started to get better.

**RayPenBrush **(another incredible artist) has drawn Rukia with Grimmjow's coat draped over her, and Ichigo as the young King... (dreamy sigh) – have a look yourselves. Like the talented individuals who have drawn for my stories, these two additions are just love. Links can be found on my profile page.

Also, **Moon's-Wing **(fellow talented writer) has written a very intriguing piece called _King, Queen, Knight _inspired by TKM. (The story is so unique and intriguing that Moon's-Wing was just being super nice to mention TKM)Check it out!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

**Words of Riddles**

**~8~**

Senna was slowly dulling in contrast to her sister.

And Inoue had a suspicion that her lady knew so better than anyone else.

Silent as she combed through Senna's hair, Inoue watched her lady stare through unseeing eyes at her own reflection that now mirrored a woman far beyond her years and exhausted beyond her age. She had watched Senna over the last few days in her feeble attempts to monopolise the King's time, only to come out of it with the small feat of ensuring the Lord's presence at their wedding fittings. Inoue had wondered how Senna perceived of her own predicament, but it was increasingly hard to decipher as her lady kept more and more to herself, and with each passing day, spoke less to anyone around her. But in spite of the future Queen's silence, Inoue knew without doubt that her lady was a victim to her own thoughts that now plagued her mind in every waking moment, and she knew with certainty that the time was fast coming when Senna would finally answer to her paranoia.

Inoue gripped Senna's hair a little tighter than she should have at the thought of Rukia. Having observed her movements within castle walls in the time that she had settled in and thus understanding the hold she had over certain people, the realisation that Rukia was in fact her largest obstacle and not Senna terrified her. The moment she had known that her lady was in actuality the one walking in the shadow of her younger sister and not the other way around; it was a sense of helplessness so great that Inoue felt an unnatural bitterness in her grow. Whilst she bore no personal hatred for Senna, Inoue was far from hesitating in doing what she needed to destroy her rise to Queen, and it pleased her to no end that Senna posed little challenge to her. But all good things always had an end and that perfect illusion was soon shattered when she not only understood that it was Rukia who held all of the King's attention, but that Rukia, unlike her sister, was almost untouchable to her.

Staring at the back of her lady's head, she could not help but resent how weak she was in contrast to her sister. How people had not yet realised was beyond Inoue, but it was clear that Senna was second to Rukia in every regard, and it angered Inoue that she was now facing a foe so far beyond her own capabilities. Failing to conform to the conventional, Rukia was too hard to understand and even more difficult to predict. It also did not play to Inoue's advantage that before she had known of Rukia's threat, she had actually liked the girl for her respect to any person despite their hierarchical standing. It was indeed unfortunate that the younger sister was now pulled into this predicament for Inoue truly did admire her individualistic nature, and though she knew that Rukia would outsmart her, she would still try to her dying breath to eliminate two birds with one stone.

Inoue decided she had watched on in silence for long enough.

"My Lady." Inoue finally broke through the stillness, watching as Senna's eyes flickered softly up at her through the reflection of the mirror.

Without saying anything, Senna indicated for Inoue to speak freely.

Trialling a red hair piece in Senna's hair as she readied her lady for the night's festivities, Inoue asked absentmindedly, "What does one mean by 'what is a snake without its poison'?"

Senna's brows drew together slightly to form a somewhat questioning look, "Why do you ask?"

Inoue merely shook her head, gently placing the red hair piece back onto the table as she reached for another. "No reason, I was simply curious."

And then the silence returned, but Inoue swore she could hear Senna's thoughts as her face betrayed everything that ran through her racing mind now. Inoue held her breath, but her posture remained oblivious to the seeds that she had swiftly planted. She would make use of Senna's reign over Rukia, she was at least useful for that, and perhaps then she would be able to overcome the youngest Tanaka sister, and in the same process, bring them both down.

The calm silence, a stark contrast to the raging thoughts surging through Senna's mind, dragged on endlessly and although Senna made no outward movement, Inoue knew her words had been placed in the right moment to parallel with her lady's mounting paranoia. It was a growing obsession, this desire to analyse her own sister, but Senna could not stop herself from subconsciously trying to emulate Rukia, and she couldn't despise herself more for striving to duplicate herself into someone who was supposed to be inferior to her. But Inoue knew Senna would soon cave into finding a different approach to eradicate the threat that Rukia posed.

All she needed was a push in the right direction.

When Senna spoke, her voice sounded so empty... like she was finally selling her soul.

"I think it is time we find her a suitor."

A married Rukia would be a snake without its poison.

* * *

><p>A flurry of hushed whispers fell over the mass of people crowded in the great hall as all eyes turned to watch in admiration of the future Queen's younger sister. Dressed in a simple gown of soft champagne with white lace trimmings, Rukia made her modest entrance ignorant to the captivated attention she had garnered. Her long black hair, now much longer than she had remembered, draped across her back in soft curls and her eyes, dusted with a soft charcoal, shone vividly in its perfect shade of violet. With a natural pink hue accentuating her cheeks, her face shone with youth but lost the child-like quality she had in her earlier days in Court. She was blossoming and blossoming quickly. It was easy to miss her seemingly sudden transformation for Rukia placed little effort in her daily appearance, content to braid her hair and dress in more ordinary gowns. But tonight, she was alluring in her mysterious beauty and undeniably second to no one.<p>

Walking gracefully across the floor and unaware of the curious looks she had gathered, she watched from afar her King, more handsome than she remembered him to be, in conversation with his advisors amongst other unfamiliar faces. Senna was close by his side, majestic in her royal blue gown and acting very much like the Queen expected of her as she laughed joyfully at something Ichigo had said. Rukia's face betrayed no emotions, only smiling gently as she turned further away from the King and walked towards the musicians playing near the secluded balcony.

The night air was much colder now as the days progressed further into winter, but Rukia conversely found herself more drawn to the cold, or perhaps it was the privacy, as she made her way to the empty balcony. She shuddered as the chill hit her, but she preferred the refreshing feeling. Closing her eyes and leaning against the marble ledge, she felt the cold breeze tickle her face and run through her hair as she listened to the laughter, singing and dancing of royals gathered for the festivity of the return of someone whom she had never heard of. But still she had come because that was what she had promised her two mentors, whom both were nowhere to be found. It didn't really matter either way, she would wait for their arrival and once she had reassured them of her participation in the festivity, she would make her exit.

Thinking of her training with Grimmjow and Yoruichi earlier in the day, she wondered vaguely how many days, or perhaps weeks, had passed since she had recommenced her training. How many sleepless nights had passed since her knowledge of the person behind her poisoning? When she realised that the memory of that evening was still too fresh in her mind, the answer was that it had not been long enough.

"You look bored."

Rukia did not turn to the owner of the voice for she did not have it in her tonight to engage in conversation with anyone. Hoping her silence would deter further attempts from this person, she remained unmoved and oblivious to the unwanted company. However, instead of the desired effect Rukia was so desperately seeking, her silence only prompted the stranger to continue on unperturbed.

"I'm bored also."

Rukia kept silent, only taking in a steady breath to keep patient.

"I think we should seek our own entertainment for the evening."

"I doubt the King would appreciate that." Rukia spoke in no particular tone, only stating a fact.

"I doubt the King would notice." Was the blasé response.

Those words effectively stirred a reaction from Rukia when the amethyst-eyed beauty flinched at the truth behind the statement. Rukia was only meant to glance at the persistent stranger, but one look at her new companion and she was unable to tear her eyes away. Standing next to her and also staring out into the far-reaching south garden stood one of the most unique, most beautiful women Rukia had ever seen in her young life. Not even drawings depicted of such dangerously seductive beauty. Her almost child-like voice did not seem to match the sensual being that she was and her womanly figure, Rukia imagined, could have even the most sought after man.

"So what do you say Rukia?" Her light hazel eyes finally turned to look at Rukia as she watched with mirth as the younger girl's expression contorted in surprise.

Rukia regarded her carefully, briefly wondering whether she should know the girl, but knew without doubt this person was no more than a stranger to her, "How do you know my name?"

The curvaceous beauty merely smiled, and whilst it simply further enhanced her exotic appearance, Rukia only found the grin too secretive and unnerving, "Your name has become infamous."

Rukia's features hardened, "You have mistaken my eminence to that of my sister's-,"

"Senna?" She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, "No, I'm afraid your name has far surpassed that of your sister's. Perhaps neither to the public nor the Court, but to anyone with any political importance, your name piques far more intrigue." She spoke in a way that seemed entirely mysterious yet so nonchalantly that Rukia knew it would be impossible to figure her companion out.

"Forgive my ignorance for I am somewhat new to Court, but you are?" Rukia asked carefully, unsure of the reception she would receive for her blatant unawareness to who this stranger was.

But said stranger was not listening as she marvelled at her amethyst eyes, "They were right, they are indeed violet." She whispered in awe to herself, unashamedly leaning into Rukia's personal space to gain a better look. "How peculiar." She tilted her head and smiled.

Rukia didn't know how to respond, but her eyes did widen a fraction at the insinuation that she had been spoken about. This girl knew too much to just be a Courtesan, but could someone her age and a female no less really be of political standing?

So she reiterated much more firmly this time, curiosity getting the better of her, "Your name, my lady."

But the stranger did not seem fazed by the eagerness, "Name.." She pondered whimsically with a soft smile ghosting her features, "I'm afraid I have gone by too many to recall my own. But what is the importance of a name without an identity? You need only know the person that I am."

"A name _is_ an identity."

"Oh but names could be so deceptive sometimes."

"I disagree."

Though the hazel-eyed beauty's smile did not falter, her words turned insensitive and harsh, "Senna, sister by name, stranger by heart."

But Rukia was faster in her retort, "Senna is my sister by _title_." It did not even occur to Rukia how this stranger knew of her forged relationship with her sister, and it would only be later that Rukia would realise how unfazed she had been to the blatant knowledge that her relationship with Senna had become no more than a title.

Immediately the seductress could not contain the genuine laughter that bubbled from within. Throwing caution to the wind and seemingly uncaring of the way she was conducting herself or the attention she was garnering, she laughed uninhibitedly. Conversely, Rukia merely stood there, carefully regarding her companion as she struggled to decipher whether she was a friend or a foe.

"Your eyes.." The stranger smiled as one would when they had a secret, so cunning it reminded her of Yoruichi's cat-like eyes.

Rukia tried to temper her exasperation with her company's tendency to speak her mind as she pleased, dictating the conversation to her heart's content, "Yes, they are violet-,"

"Amethyst." She corrected, "But not what I was meaning to say. Your eyes...they have flickered to my left eight times in the time that I have spoken to you."

Rukia shook her head, not understanding how such minor details were worth her observation. "I have not noticed and I fail to see the significance of where I choose to look."

A pregnant pause followed as the stranger stared relentlessly at Rukia with eyes that were reading and deciphering her every action and word. Rukia did not drop her gaze, an act of defiance and irritation at the constant knowing look on the beauty's face. Finally, the corner of her lips quirked upwards in a smirk before she spoke, albeit somewhat to herself, "Interesting.."

With her annoyance escalating at the girl's love for speaking in riddles, Rukia did not mask the bluntness in her tone, "What is?"

When she spoke, it was strange. Though her eyes were kept firmly on Rukia and her voice was loud enough for anyone to hear, there was no doubt that she had only uttered her words in self-observation. "You are in love with the King."

Rukia's body instantly tingled unpleasantly, her breath shortening in shock as she managed to prevent the jolt that had threatened to reveal her deepest secret. Momentarily rendered speechless, Rukia could only stare at her companion with hard and distrusting eyes. How had she known? How could she trust that this person would not use the information to her advantage?

But she did not get to ponder for long as the stranger was quick to lose interest on the subject.

"So!" She clapped her hands together, her persona reverting from mysterious to playful so suddenly, albeit effortlessly, that Rukia couldn't help by eye the girl with caution. "Shall we go and seek our own entertainment? I know a way to sneak out of castle grounds if you are daring." She finished with the customary upward inflection of persuasion.

But her efforts to seek out amusement of her own were not to be.

"Neliel." A deep stern voice cut through.

Instantly her eyes enlarged in uninhibited excitement as her face shone of a genuine happiness, "Ic-chi-goooo!"

Running to the King, she did not hesitate to throw her arms around Ichigo as she pressed her body right up against his side in a heartfelt hug.

Rukia was quick to turn her head to the side in an attempt to mask the sudden spike of jealousy at their close proximity, but beyond that, her demeanour revealed nothing of her thoughts.

Ichigo did well to conceal the roll of his eyes as he manoeuvred his body from Nel's grip and took several steps back from the overzealous girl. "This feast is held in celebration of your return, but it seems you have done well to elude the guests."

Nel waved her hand dismissively, "The guests have not come for me tonight, I am offending no one with my absence." And then glancing at Rukia, she added, "Also, I am content here."

Ichigo internally sighed at how difficult Nel was making this to be, and how transparent she was forcing him to become, "Be that as it may, it is still customary for you to at least greet the guests who have come in your name tonight."

Nel was unfazed as she raised an eyebrow, "They have come under the _pretence_ of my return. I doubt they realised my absence in the last year." She was not deluded enough to think herself so important to these pompous self-loving royals.

"Neliel." Ichigo spoke warningly.

Nel regarded Ichigo for a while wondering if he knew that she had already observed the four times he had glanced at Rukia. But because she loved him dearly like a brother, she would relent to him for tonight, "Is that an order?"

"Does it need to be?"

"I see." But it was not the order she was referring to and the smile that accompanied her words told Ichigo that she saw through his efforts.

Offering one last look over her shoulder at the rigid girl, Nel smiled her knowing smile before she sauntered away from the pair, all the while wondering how Rukia had managed to invoke a possessiveness in Ichigo she never knew him capable of.

Turning back to look at the beauty that had taken his breath away the moment he had approached the balcony, Ichigo took a steady breath as he savoured her name as it rolled naturally off his tongue, "Rukia." Unable to stop staring he added absentmindedly, "You look... lovely tonight."

"Thank-you." She smiled and curtseyed... to which Ichigo should have taken as his first cue that Rukia was not herself tonight.

When she did not carry the conversation as he had somewhat expected her to, he continued on, "It's been a while since we've been able to speak in private."

Rukia nodded, doing her best to remain unmoved by Ichigo's genuine joy at seeing her, "Time has not been kind to us."

Ichigo chuckled, "I sense there is a hidden meaning behind your words, are you hinting your dismay at your impending coming of age?" he teased, not realising that he had just potentially revealed to Rukia how mindful he was of everything to do with her.

Had Rukia's heart not felt as heavy as it did, she would have noticed, but as it were, all she could hear in her mind was the haunting repetition of Hisana's words to _stay away from the King_.

"No, I barely realise that it is almost my birthday." She avoided his gaze and his entire being. It was too difficult to watch him stare at her the way he did and not be moved by his handsome appearance.

"Not just a birthday, your eighteenth." He added playfully.

But today Rukia would breach their silent promise to each other to never touch upon the topic of Ichigo's marriage. "That would mean your wedding cannot be too far from now."

The silence that followed was deafening and Rukia wondered whether she was the only one finding it difficult to stand tall. The way she looked at Ichigo was impassive, an ironic contrast to the pain of uttering those words, but this was a decision she had asserted herself with and now there would be no turning back. Her eyes fell to a dull shade of violet, a perfect mirror of the emptiness she felt from within. So hollow she felt no more than a shell of trained facades as she watched with hooded eyes as Ichigo struggled to contain the shock and confusion at her choice of topic. Slowly, she watched his brows crease together to form his signature scowl as she observed his desperate need to decipher her actions.

Regarding her very carefully and not taking his eyes off her, he slowly uttered in confirmation, "No..."And slowly, the realisation that she was not her own person finally dawned on him.

"Senna tells me the wedding preparations are coming along fine." Lies, she had not spoken to Senna nor did she have any desire to, but Ichigo didn't need to know that.

It hurt a lot, but she knew that only until she faced the truth would she finally be able to accept that Ichigo would never be hers, and would she finally be able to move on from him. She was doing this for both of their sakes'. It was surreal, as though she was watching her own person speak the words she felt so disinclined to say, but the further she barricaded herself from her feelings for him, the less painful it would be in the future. That was all she could tell herself to keep from crumbling before him.

"I wouldn't know." Ichigo's voice had taken an edge as he stared hard at her, feeling slightly betrayed that she was seemingly trampling all over his feelings when he on the other hand had spent every waking moment thinking about her. He did his best to keep logical, to remind himself that this was not the usual Rukia, but all that registered was how real the pain felt.

She stayed calm even though all she wanted to do was apologise for her ruthless words, "I see. Nevertheless, you must feel elated for your momentous day."

"Why would I be?" He asked lowly, irritation and anger apparent. His once jovial spirit all but completely diminished.

But Rukia continued to push him away, "A sacred union between two people is a joyous occasion, so why shouldn't you be?"

"Do _you_ truly believe I am happy about this union?" He asked in offense with bated breath, slightly aware that she was doing this to provoke him, but too consumed by hurt that he knew he was losing his reign over his anger.

She did not respond immediately, but when she did, it was strained and indirect and the smile that came spoke of a tortured soul, an image that would stay with Ichigo for nights to come, but in his moment of hurt he chose not to see her pain for now. "Senna will make a good wife."

The expression that followed forced Rukia to look away. He tried to conceal it, but she saw the hurt and betrayal painted across his handsome features. "I see..." He replied flatly as he tried to temper the anger, only for his efforts to be in vain as his expression turned uncaring and equally detached. "You're right, Senna is more than I have asked for, I have everything to be happy about."

The spite that accompanied those words sounded so foreign to the both of them, but Ichigo refused to play into the palm of Rukia's hand. If this was what she wanted, she best be sure she could handle it.

She bit her inner cheek. "Yes, she is perfect in every way." She balled her right hand into a tight fist.

"Perfect _for me_ in every way."

Rukia took a steady breath in and tried to remind herself that she was the one who had deliberately provoked him, but hearing those words were too much for her to bear. "How fortunate of you then." She responded darkly, her own anger rising steadily as she felt a jealousy so strong she couldn't be sure she would be able to remain composed.

"I could not have asked for more." He stirred, trying to incite a reaction from Rukia the way she was cruelly doing to him.

She knew it was unfair and that she had no right to feel the anger that she felt, but the hurt and bitterness that followed upon his words were so suffocating that for the first time, she wanted to be as far away from him as she could be. "On that note, I shall excuse myself for keeping you from your beloved." She offered bitingly.

And he would not stop her. "Then I bid you farewell m'lady."

She bowed low for him, a sarcastic reminder of the commoner that she was to the King that she could never reach, "Your Grace."

* * *

><p>"How interesting." Nel muttered impassively, swirling her wine cup in absent circles, her eyes hard and observing as she watched Rukia make a hasty exit.<p>

Yoruichi watched as Nel, so serious and so capable of being deadly, stared after her younger protégé as a hawk would to its prey. "You underestimate her." She stated simply, a hint of chastising in her tone.

"Have I?" She raised her left eyebrow with a smirk that veiled the challenge in her blood.

"She may not be skilled like you are, but her determination and willpower is second to no one. Not to myself and not to you."

"Perhaps." Nel simply smiled in her mysterious way, feeling no desire to contest Yoruichi's words.

"Of all people, you should understand her. After all, she is just you, a you from a lifetime ago." Whilst Yoruichi betrayed no emotions in her tone, she knew the telltale sadness that took hold of her at the thought of the life Neliel, her once protégé, had lived... was still living.

"It is not very pleasant to be me." There was neither sadness nor bitterness in her voice, just a tragic irony that came out sounding satirical.

"No." Yoruichi conceded honestly as she refused to insult neither herself nor Nel by offering empty words of solace to a life of pain she would never understand. "But she is a survivor, just like you are."

At this, Nel didn't hold back her scepticism, "Can you be so sure? To walk upon the land of the West is no different to a dead man's road."

But Yoruichi was unfazed, staring absentmindedly at the small back of Rukia as she was gradually disappearing from their view. "Whatever it may be, she is destined for far greater things, things beyond even our imagination."

Nel laughed, though not unkindly, "You speak as though she will rise to be our King."

And that was when Yoruichi smiled her infamous feline smile. "Not quite." As though she knew of a secret that no one else had yet discovered. "Not quite.."

Little did anyone know that Rukia's days in court were slowly numbered, and when that time came, her only means of survival would be Neliel.

**~8~**


End file.
